LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

- 133 6 - 6 / 
- - Gopi^ngl^ f 

Shelf -.1.7?^ 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




I 



TRUE STORIES FOR LITTLE 
PEOPLE 

FROM THE BOOK 




MRS. E. J. RICHMOND 



Author of "The World's Women," "Drifting and Anchored," 
"The Two Paths," "Aunt Chloe and Her Young 
Friends," " Hope Raymond," " Scrip- 
ture Primer," Etc. 







f 



BOSTON, MASS 

Mcdonald & gill go. 

CHICAGO, ILL 



\ 



3 ^5^1 



Copyright, 1894, 
By the McDonald & Gill Co. 



^^-j?tf(^r 



I 



PREFACE. 



One of the world's great writers, lying on his 
death-bed, said to his servant, — 

'' Bring me the Book.'' 

'^ What Book ? " said the servant, thinking of 
the many beautiful books his master had written. 

'' The Bible," said Sir Walter. '' There is but 
one Book.'' 

To seek to interest my young friends in the 
study of this " one Book," is the aim of the writer 
of the following sketches drawn from its treasury. 

MRS. E. J. RICHMOND. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Part I. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Garden . 1 

II. The Brothers 7 

III. A Short Story of a Long Life ... 10 

ly. The Flood 12 

V. The High Tower 18 

YL The Doomed Cities 20 

YII. The Lamb which was not slain . . 24 

YIII. The Story of Joseph 28 

IX. Moses 39 

X. Samson, the Strong Man 48 

XI. The Story of Samuel 52 

XII. §AUL, THE King 60 

XIII. King David 72 

XIY. The Wise King 74 

XY. Elljah, the Prophet 78 

XYI. Elisha 96 

XYII. Athaliah Ill 

XYIII. Esther, the Beautiful Queen . . . 114 

XIX. The Strange Battle 121 

XX. The Story of Daniel 124 

XXI. The Temple rebuilt 143 

V 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Part II. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Light of the World 149 

II. John the Bapti.^t 158 

III. The Sermox on the Mouxt 166 

ly. The Tavefae Disciples 174 

Y. The Master is betrayed 184 

VI. The Resitrrectiox 194 

YII. The Day of Pextec ost 199 

YIII. Some of the Disciples 203 

IX. JoHX 210 

X. Saul, or Paul 214 

XI. St. Luke 224 

XII. Timothy 226 

XIII. Mary, the Mother of Jesus .... 228 

vi 



TRUE STORIES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 



PART I. 



TRUE STORIES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE 
FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE GARDEN. 

There are many lovely gardens in this fair 
world of ours, but I suppose none was ever so fair 
and perfect as the garden of Eden. The great and 
good God, the Creator of all things, fitted it up for 
the home of the first man and woman — Adam and 
Eve, and we may believe it was beautiful indeed. 
God had made the world, and the living creatures 
which inhabit it, the beasts, the fishes and the 
birds, and "saw that it was good.*' But He did 
what was greater than all these. He said "Let us 
make man in our image, after our likeness ; and let 
them have dominion over all." 

"So God created man in His own image, in the 
image of God created He him ; male and female 
created He them. 

1 



Z TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

This was the happy pair whom God placed in 
the garden of Eden. 

Such fruits and flowers, such beauteous foliage 
and musical streams, so much that "God saw w^as 
good," and Adam and Eve had only "to dress it, 
and to keep it." How happy they must have been ; 
for sin was yet unknown. God gave them leave 
to eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden, 
save one. Of this one tree, the "tree of knowl- 
edge," He forbade them to taste ; for. He said, "In 
the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." 

These happy people who lived in the garden of 
Eden, had one awful power, the same, kind reader 
which you and I possess to-day, the poioer of 
choice, I suppose that Satan, the great enemy of 
God, knew this. He hated God and His creatures 
as much as God loved them, and he resolved to des- 
troy these innocent people if he could. So he 
took the form of a serpent and said to Eve as 
she was enjoying her lovely home : 

"Yea hath God said. Ye shall not eat of every 
tree of the garden?" Oh if Eve had only known 
what a deadly enemy it was who spoke to her ! 
but she answered : 



THE GARDEN. 6 

"We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the 
garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the 
midst of the garden God hath said, Ye shall not eat 
of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die." Then 
the wicked serpent said " Ye shall not surely 
die." Why did not the poor woman turn away 
from the false wicked tempter at once ? But she 
listened. And the cruel tempter said, "For God doth 
know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall 
be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good 
and evil." 

Even now poor Eve did not turn away. To 
know! to be so grandly wise, she who knew so 
little ! This was her first temptation and she fell. 
She forgot her best Friend. It was all before her, 
right and wrong, good and evil, to obey or to dis- 
obey, and she must choose. Alas ! alas ! She reached 
out her hand, and plucked and ate the fruit which 
God had forbidden her to touch or to taste. And 
thus sin came into the world, and "the wages of sin 
is death." 

"The garden was so sweet and fair 
Until the tempter entered there, 
And hapless Eve forgot her Lord 
And listened to the flattering word 



4 THUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Of the great enemy. Alas ! 
That such a thing should come to pass ; 
That Eve's fair hand should usher in 
Cold cruel death, the wage of sin.*' 

When Adam knew the great wrong which Eve 
had done, he too ate of the fruit which she gave to 
him. And now the punishment began. 

The heavy load of sin was on their hearts, and 
when "in the cool of the day," they heard the 
voice of the Lord walking in the garden, they tried 
to hide away^ instead of running to meet Him, as 
they had done. To hide from God, Every child 
knows that there is no place in the wide world 
where that can be done. God knew all about it, 
but He called, "Adam, where art thou?'' Then 
Adam told Him that he was afraid when he heard 
the voice of God and went and hid himself. Sin 
alone makes men afraid of the good God. 

The Lord said to him, "Hast thou eaten of the 
tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest 
not eat ?" Adam was not brave. He said "The 
woman whom Thou gavest me^ she gave me of the 
tree and I did eat." And the Lord said to Eve 
"What is this that thou hast done ?" And she 



THE GAEDEF. 5 

was not brave. She answered "The serpent 
beguiled me and I did eat." Then the Lord 
cursed the serpent which had tempted Eve, and all 
people hate the serpent up to this day. 

Adam and Eve were driven from the beautiful 
garden and forced to till the ground. And God 
cursed the ground because of sin, and it brought 
forth thorns and thistles. And he told Adam that 
because he had done this great wrong, he should 
die at last, and be buried in the ground, for he said, 
"Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.^' 

This was the beginning of the sorrow which sic 
brought into the world. 



QUESTIONS. 

Who prepared the garden of Eden ? 
For whom was it prepared ? 
Was it a pleasant home ? 

Of how many of the fruits of the garden might 
they eat ? 

Of how many were they forbidden to taste ? 
What was the penalty if they should disobey ? 



6 TKUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 

What awful power did Adam and Eve possess? 
Who first disobeyed ? 
Who tempted her ? 
What did Satan tell her ? 
Who next disobeyed ? 

When they heard the Lord's voice in the garden 
what did they try to do ? 

Could they hide away from Him ? 

What excuse did Adam make ? 

What was Eve's excuse ? 

What sentence was pronounced against them ? 



THE BROTHERS. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE BBOTHERS. 

"Driven from Eden, and for my sin." This 
bitter thought must have been in Eve's heart every 
day that she lived. She saw Adam toiling wearily, 
the sweat drops on his brow, to keep back the 
"briars and thorns," and to raise the fruits which 
had grown in the garden ready for their use. And 
she no longer heard the voice of her best Friend. 
But He did not forget her; He sent to the sad 
home two sons, Cain and Abel, and again they 
were happy. The love of father, and mother, 
brother, sister and home, is sweeter than all 
else in the whole world. It is next to the love of 
God. 

Adam and Eve told thesa dear boys of this great 
and good Being, who made all things, and taught 
them to worship Him. He taught them too, to 
cultivate the soil, and to care for living creatures. 
Cain chose to be a farmer, but Abel was "a 



8 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

keeper of sheep." Both were honorable callings, 
but God who kno\^ the hearts of men, saw that 
Cain was a very wicked man. Abel was pure and 
true and loved and revered CTod. 

The two brothers made offerings to God. Cain 
laid the fruits of the earth upon the altar which he 
made, and Abel upon his altar offered a lamb. 
And God, who knew the hearts of both the 
brothers, accepted the lamb which Abel gave, but 
did not have "respect to Cain's gift." Then Cain 
was very angry. Here we see sin again ; first envy, 
then anger, then the blackest of sins. For cruel 
Cain killed his true good brother. 

God spake to the wicked man and said, " Where 
is Abel thy brother?" Now Cain adds falsehood 
to all his sins, and says, "I know not. Am I my 
brother's keeper? " Then Cain, the first murderer, 
was driven forth with a brand upon his brow, " a 
fugitive and a vagabond ; " and he said, " My punish- 
ment is greater than I can bear." To live under 
such a load of guilt must have been an awful 
punishment. The curse of God rested upon him 
till he died, and all over the world to-day he is 
known as " the murderer Cain," while his brother 




The Murder of Abel. 



THE BROTHEKS. 9 

is remembered as " righteous Abel." Thus men 
live thousands of years after they are dead and are 
"only remembered by what they have done." 



QUESTIONS. 

What was Eve's great sorrow when they had 
been driven from the garden ? 

Did God forget her ? 

What were the names of the sons He sent her ? 

What is one of the sweetest things in the world ? 

What did Adam teach these boys ? 

Were the boys alike ? 

What were their occupations ? 

What offerings did they make to God ? 

Which did God accept, and why ? 

Why was Cain so angry ? 

What evil things came into his heart ? 

What did he do ? 

What answer did he make to God when He 
asked for his brother ? 

What doom was pronounced against him ? 

How are people remembered ? 



10 TRUE STOKIES EHOM THE BOOK. 

CHAPTER III. 

A SHORT STORY OF A LONG LIFE. 

It is all summed up in twelve words, the story 
of a man who lived the noblest life it is possible 
for a man to live in this world. "And Enoch 
walked with God and was not, for God took him." 

This was the whole story, but the life lasted 
three hundred and sixty-five years. It was a grand 
thing to walk with God, but Enoch did not do it 
because others did. The Bible had not been 
written, and Christ had not yet come. All around 
him, men who had the same light he had — the voice 
of God in the soul, chose evil instead of good, 
wrong instead of right, but Enoch was wise. He 
"walked with God and was not, for God took him." 
He was translated. He did not go through the 
gates of death, as each one of us must do, as Christ 
himself did. 

None of us may follow him in this, but every 
one may copy his grand life : may walk with God. 



A SHORT STORY OF A LONG LIFE. 11 

Then we have not only life eternal, but "all things" 

in this life. 

" Each day to walk and talk with God, 
Each day to heed His gentle voice, 
This is the only happy life, 
Thns may we 'evermore rejoice.' 
For all of earth and all of heaven 
He has unto His chosen given." 



QUESTIONS. 

What was the name of a good man whose long 
life is summed up in twelve words ? 
How many years did he live ? 
Did Enoch have the Bible ? 
Was he surrounded with good people ? 
What light had Enoch ? 
Had the people around him the same light ? 
What did they choose ? 
What is said of Enoch ? 
What came to him ? 
May we have to follow him in this ? 
What may we do ? 



12 TRUE STOPvIES FPwOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE IV. 
THE FLOOD. 

Water is one of the greatest blessings which 
God has given to man. Yet God used it to de- 
stroy men, because they loved sin. Liberty — the 
power to choose — is a great blessing, but we may 
abuse it as Eve did. And men did abuse it. 
They loved sin, and the world grew wickeder 
every day. 

There was only one man, Koah, who believed 
God and obeyed Him. And when God had deter- 
mined to destroy all men for their great sins, He 
told Xoah, and bade him build an ark. It was a 
great ship, larger than any ever builded, perhaps. 
Yet it is said that the ^- Great Eastern,"' which 
some years ago laid the Atlantic cable, was of 
about the same length and breadth as the ark. 
To see a great ship like this going up year after 
year, and to hear Noah tell that God was about to 




The Dove Returning. 



THE FLOOD. 13 

bring a flood upon the earth, and destroy all flesh, 
was too much for the faithless people. 

The ark stood on dry land, and no doubt they 
thought it would always be there. But when they 
saw all the animals, two of a kind, going into the 
great three-storied ark, ahd knew that Noah had 
laid up in it food enough of all kinds to last many 
months, they began to look grave. Then God said 
to Noah, ''' Come thou and all thy house into the 
ark.'' And Noah obeyed, and with his wife, his 
three sons and their wives, went into the ark. 
''And the Lord shut him in.^^ Now they are safe, 
and no doubt the men who had sneered at Noah 
began to tremble. For the rain came down, and 
the ark rose on the waters. Men fled to the hills 
and the mountains. 

The rain still poured for forty days and forty 
nights, and the mountains were covered. And 
every living thing upon the earth, except what 
were in the ark, was dead. Then God remem- 
bered them, and the rain ceased, and the winds 
blew, and the tops of the mountains appeared. 

The ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, and 



14 TRUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Noah opened the window, and sent forth, first a' 
raven which did not come back, and then a dove 
which '• found no rest for the sole of her foot," 
and came back to him in the ark. He waited 
seven days and sent her forth again, and this time 
she came back with an olive leaf in her mouth. 
Then Noah knew that the waters were abated. 
We may think how glad they all were, after living 
in the ship one hundred and fifty days with only 
water, water everywhere, to see the earth again. 

God had called him into the ark ; now he says, 
^^ Go forth." And Noah went out with every 
living creature. He stood on the dear old earth 
again, and the very first thing which he did shows 
Him to have been a true, good man. ^^Noah 
builded an altar unto the Lord." He offered 
sacrifice, and the Lord was pleased. He made to 
Him this great promise : "I will not curse the 
ground any more for man's sake ; . . . seedtime 
and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and 
winter, and day and night shall not cease." For 
^^ the token of the covenant" He gave the beauti- 
ful rainbow, and every time we look upon it, we 
think of God, and of His great goodness to us. 



THE FLOOD. 15 

It is very sad to know that Noah was the 
first man to learn that '^ wine is a mocker." He 
planted a vineyard. The juice of the grape is 
very sweet and nourishing before it begins to spoil. 
Then, when fermentation begins, alcohol, like the 
serpent in the garden, makes it what the w^ise 
man speaks of : " Who hath woe ? Who hath 
sorrow ? Who hath contentions ? Who hath bab- 
bling ? . . . Who hath redness of eyes ? They 
that tarry long at the wine. ... At the last it 
biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder.'' 
AYe may believe that when Noah drank so freely 
of the wine, he did not know that it was spoiled. 
But it bit him all the same. All the world knows 
his shame. The Book tells all the sins and mis- 
takes of good men just as faithfully as it does 
their virtues. And so other poor men who have 
fallen into sin do not despair. They remember 
how patient and long-suffering God is, and that 
men have only to confess and turn away from 
sin, to find mercy. 



16 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

QUESTIONS. 

What is one of the greatest blessings God has 
given to man ? 

Why did He turn this blessing to a curse ? 

What did the people choose ? 

HoAv many men believed and obeyed God ? 

What was that man's name ? 

What did God tell Xoah to do ? 

What great ship of modern times bore the same 
proportions ? 

Did Xoah warn the people ? 

Did they heed his warnings ? 

What caused them to look grave ? 

What did God say to Xoah ? 

What did He then do ? 

How long did the rain come doAvn ? 

What happened to every living thing outside 
the ark ? 

When the rain ceased, where did the ark rest ? 

What did Xoah do ? 

How long was he in the ark ? 

What did God now say to Xoah ? 



THE FLOOD. 17 

When Noah and his family went forth from the 
arkj what was his first act ? 

What beautiful token did God appoint of His 
promise not again to drown the earth ? 

After this what great mistake did Noah make ? 

Does the Bible tell us of the faults as well as 
the virtues of men ? 



18 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER V. 
THE HIGH TO WEB. 

As the earth became peopled again, and all the 
people spoke one language, the}^ forgot the Lord, 
who had preserved their fathers in the great flood. 
They said they would build a great city, and a 
tower, the top of which should reach heaven. 
They would make them a name, and not go wan- 
dering over the ea.rth. And they builded well. 
The brick which they used was burned thoroughly ; 
and there were so many of them speaking one 
language, the way seemed clear to do all they 
planned. 

But God who made them planned otherwise. 
In the midst of their busy work. He said that 
He would confound their language, so that no 
one could understand what the other said. This 
He did, and the men who had made such great 
plans without asking God were in sore trouble. 



THE HIGH TOWER. 19 

They left off building the city, and the high tower, 
and were scattered throughout the earth, as God 
had planned. 

And they called the city which was not builded, 
Babel, because that the Lord did there confound 
the language of all the people, and scatter them 
abroad over the earth. 



QUESTIONS. 

As the earth became peopled again, did men 
remember God ? 

What did they plan to do ? 

Why? 

Did they build well ? 

Why 'did they succeed so well? 

What was God's plan ? 

What did He do ? 

What happened then ? 

What name did they give the city ? 



20 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE BOOMED CITIES. 

Amoxg the few righteous men of which the 
Bible speaks is Abraham, who is called '^ the 
friend of God.'' He sent angels to this good 
man, to tell him what He Avas about to do. 

Among all the wicked cities in the world, none 
were so utterly bad as Sodom and Gomorrah. 
They were situated in the midst of a beautiful 
plain, which Lot, the nephew of Abraham, had 
chosen as his home. He was a good man ; but he 
lived in Sodom, and a good man cannot live in 
a vile place without being harmed. 

God sent His angels to tell Abraham that He 
was about to destroy the wicked cities. Abraham 
thought of Lot, and prayed that if fifty righteous 
men could be found in Sodom, it might be spared. 
And God said that if He found fifty good men 
there, He would spare the city. 



THE DOOMED CITIES. 21 

Then Abraham pleaded for mercy if forty should 
be found. And God said that He would not 
destroy the city for forty's sake. Abraham now 
asked for mercy if thirty were found ; and God 
said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there.'^ 
Still Abraham pleaded for mercy for the doomed 
city ; " if twenty were found there.'' And God 
said, '' I will not destroy it for twenty's sake." 

Again, the last time, he prayed that if ten were 
found there, it should be spared. And the merci- 
ful One said, " I will not destroy it for ten's sake." 

But, alas ! In all that great, wicked city, not 
ten righteous men were found. Even the angels 
who went to warn Lot that God was about to de- 
stroy the city were so shamefully treated, that they 
smote the men with blindness, that they might 
escape out of their hands. Then the angels told 
Lot to take his wife, and his daughters, and their 
husbands, and flee to the mountains, for the city 
should surely be destroyed for ics great wicked- 
ness. 

The husbands of Lot's daughters would not be- 
lieve this, and stayed in the doomed city. Even 



22 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Lot's wife had become so fond of the wicked 
city that she " looked back/*' which the angels had 
told her not to do. She was turned at once into 
" a pillar of salt." And Lot, instead of hastening 
to the mountains, as he was commanded to do, 
begged to be permitted to go to a little city called 
Zoar, which was not so far away. The angels 
kindly consented ; but when Lot saw the awful 
smoke of the burning cities, he did not sta}^ in 
Zoar, but hid away in the mountains. 

It is not safe to live among vile, wicked people. 
Even Lot and his family were harmed by living in 
Sodom. He had chosen it for his home because 
the valley of Jordan was '^ well watered every- 
where," even '' as the garden of the Lord." But 
the beauty of the land did not make the people 
good and thankful to God. 

The Book says, " The men of Sodom were 
wicked, and sinners before the Lord exceedingly." 

Those who visit the site of these cities tell us 
that the rocks above the valley are full of bitu- 
men. It does not concern us what materials 
He used in destroying the cities which He had 



THE DOOMED CITIES. 23 

doomed. All the forces of the world which He 
made are at His command ; and we know that He 
utterly destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their 
great wickedness. 



QUESTIONS. 

What was Abraham called ? 
Who were sent to him ? 
What did the angels tell him ? 
Why would God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah ? 
What friend of Abraham lived in Sodom ? 
For what did Abraham plead ? 
Did God hear his prayer ? 
Were ten righteous men found in Sodom ? 
How did the men of Sodom treat the angels 
who went to warn Lot ? 
What did the angels do ? 
What did they then do ? 
Did all of Lot's family escape with him ? 
What came to Lot's wife ? 
Why had Lot chosen Sodom for his home ? 
Is it safe to choose wicked associates ? 



24 TKUE STORIES FBOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE LAMB WHICH WAS NOT SLAIN. 

Ax old man, bowed with the burden of grief 
and care ; his only son, a beautiful boy ; two ser- 
vants, an ass, and wood for a sacrihce. 

This picture was seen in the land of Judea, 
nearly four thousand years ago. Millions have 
looked upon it since with wonder and awe. The 
soul of the picture, that which we cannot see, 
was the burden which the old man bore. He had 
heard the voice of God calling, — 

" Abraham ! Abraham ! '' 

And he had answered, as was his wont, — 

" Here am I."^ . 

Then he heard, — 

"Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, 
whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land 
of jVIoriah ; and offer him there for a burnt 
offering upon one of the mountains which I will 




Isaac Rescued by the Angel. 



THE LAMB AVHICH WAS NOT SLAIN. 2o 

tell thee of.^^ And, without a word^ the old man 
had prepared for his journey, which had now 
lasted three days. 

God had given to him this son, and had given 
him great promises for him. How noiv can they 
he fulfilled? The old man did not ask this 
question. He simply obeyed God. He said to 
his servants, — 

'^ Abide you here with the ass ; and I and 
the lad will go yonder and worship, and come 
again to you.'' 

Then he gave the wood to his son, and took 
the fire and a knife, and they went on to- 
gether. And Isaac said to his father, — 

" Behold the fire and the wood ; but where 
is the lamb ? '' 

" God will provide Himself a lamb,'' the old 
man said ; and he knew that the innocent boy 
was the lamb which God had commanded him 
to sacrifice. 

When they had come to the place, the old 
man built an altar, and ^^ laid the wood in 
order." Then he bound his son, and laid him 



2(3 TRUE STORIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

upon the wood. And lie lifted his hand to strike ; 
but then he heard the voice of God again call, — 

'' Abraham ! Abraham ! '^ 

And again he answered, — 

^^Here am 1.'' 

Then he heard, — 

'^Lay not thine hand upon the lad; . . . for 
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou 
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from 
Me.*' 

The happy father turned and saw a ram caught 
by the horns in a thicket close by. This he 
killed and laid upon the altar, and he named 
the place " Jehovah-jireh. The Lord will pro- 
vide." 

This is the Christian's watchword to-day. 



QUESTIONS. 

Whose voice did Abraham hear ? 

What answer did he make ? 

Had God made promises for this son Isaac ? 

Did Abraham obey God ? 



THE LAMB WHICH WAS NOT SLAIK. 27 

What did Isaac ask his father ? 

What answer did Abraham make ? 

When he had come to the place where God 
commanded him to go^ what did he do ? 

When he lifted up his hand to strike the 
ladj what did he hear ? 

Was the father glad ? 

What did he see caught by his horns in a 
thicket ? 

What name did he give the place ? 

What was the meaning of the word ? 



28 TKUE STOKIES FEOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
THE STOEY OF JOSEPH. 

Joseph vras the son of a shepherd, living in 
the land of Canaan. He had ten grown-up 
brothers, and one little brother younger than 
himself. He was seventeen years old, and was 
a true, good boy, and his father loved him. 

It is very natural to love those who are lovely 
and good ; but it is not always wise to show 
it too strongly. Partiality in a father breeds 
hatred in those Avho are not loved ; and Joseph's 
brothers hated him because his father had given 
him ^-a coat of many colors," and had given 
them none. Joseph, too, had told his father of 
the evil things which his brothers did. 

He dreamed two very singular dreams, which 
were prophetic. He innocently told these to his 
brothers, and they hated him the more. But 
J oseph had no hatred in his heart toward his bad 
brothers. 




Joseph Being Sold, 



THE STORY OF JOSEPH. 29 

They were feeding their flocks far away from 
home, and Jacob, the father, told Joseph to go 
and see how his brothers and the flocks fared. 
When these bad men saw their young brother 
coming, they said, — 

" Behold, this dreamer cometh." 

Some said, '' Let us kill him and cast him 
into a pit, and we will say some evil beast 
hath devoured him ; and we shall see what will 
become of his dreams/' One brother, Reuben, 
heard all this and said, " Let us not kill him.'' 

He told them to cast him into a pit in the wil- 
derness. When his brothers were gone, he meant 
to take him to his father again. 

When the poor lad came up they stripped him 
of his '' coat of many colors," and cast him into a 
dry pit, and '' sat down to eat bread." Eeuben 
was away, and a company of Ishmaelites were 
passing, going down to Egypt. Then they took 
Joseph from the pit and sold him to the Ishmael- 
ites for twenty pieces of silver. When Reuben 
came to the pit to release Joseph, he found it 
empty, and he was very sorry. 



30 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

The wicked brothers dipped the lad's coat in 
the blood of a kid which they killed, and carried 
it to his father, saying that they had found it. 
And Eeiiben did not tell his father how false it 
was, though he wept so sadly and said, — 

'' I will go down into the grave unto my son 
mourning." 

While Jacob Avas mourning so sadly for his lost 
son, whom he thought the wild beasts had slain, 
the traders had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an 
officer of the king's household. Here he made 
friends, as he always had, by his truth and good- 
ness ; and his master trusted him with, all he had. 
It is sad to read that a wicked woman, his mas- 
ter's wife, by a black falsehood, caused this true, 
23ure man to be cast into prison, but God was with 
him even there. The keeper of the prison trusted 
everything to him. 

There were two prisoners who had strange 
dreams ; and as Joseph had the care of all the 
prisoners, he noticed their sad, downcast looks. 
He asked the^n Avliy they were sad, and they told 
him their strange dreams. He said that ^^ interpre- 



THE STORY OF JOSEPH. 31 

tations belong to God.'' He told them that the 
fate of one prisoner was to be executed in three 
days, and the other was to be restored to favor 
in the same time. All this came to pass just as 
Joseph had interpreted the dreams ; but the butler 
whom the king restored to favor forgot Joseph, 
and he still remained in prison. 

But one night the king dreamed a dream which 
troubled him greatly, and no one could be found 
to interpret it. Then the careless butler remem. 
bered Joseph, and told the king of his dream 
while in prison, and of Joseph's true interpreta 
tion of it. And the king sent and took Joseph 
out of the prison. The king told Joseph his 
strange dream ; and Joseph told the king that the 
Lord had warned him in this way, what He was 
about to do. He would give to the land of Egypt 
seven years of plenty and fruitfulness, and seven 
years of famine should follow. 

Joseph advised the king to appoint a wise and 
careful man over all the country, to prepare during 
the fruitful years for the famine which was to fol- 
low. The king very wisely said to his servants, — 



:vj 



TiMMO s'i^()i:ii-:s v\u)M vwi: r.ooK 



"(^:ui \\r lind sucli n. ouo, ns iliis is, a. mmi in 
Avhoin ili(* Spirit, of ( J()(l is?'' 

And li(^ lold floscpli lh;it IxM'ilnsc (lod liiid 
sIiowimI liim ;dl lliis, iind _<;i\(Mi liini wisdom, In* 
wonld scl liini ovim' :i11 Mm* Iniid of I^^u'vpt. lli* 
said, ^'Oidv in Mm* lliroiu* will 1 he _i;r(*al(M' llKni 
ilion.'' 1I(* look oir his rin^" and juil it on flos('i)h's 
liaiuh and ^iivc* hini ''\(\slnr('s oi' lim* liiuMi.*' 
Tlun-c is nothiiiL;- al this day know n mor^* hi^uitilul 
llian th(* '' lin(^ linen " of l^'i;\ pt.. 

'I'h(* lsinj_;' pnl a chain of j^old ni)on flost^plTs n(U'l\, 
and nanuMl him Zaphnal h-paan(>ah, w hi(di nutans " a. 
inn'cMhM- of simtcIs." lie made him to ride in tin* 
second (diariol. which he ha.d, and \\\r\ criiMl i)e- 
foTO Inm, '' r>ow (h(* kmu'." rlosepli had hcvu Irne 
and failhlnl to (Jod amid all 1iis trials and p(M'- 
scM'ntions, and now lie was ri^wardinj;- him royally. 

Il(* had a sw(Md ri^ycMi^t* npon his wi(d\(Ml broth- 
(M's, who sold him into slaytM'y. Tlu* t'amint* 
r(\ich(Ml (^anaan, and his I'atlun' and his brothers 
lu^ird that "th(M'(» was corn in l\^\ pt," and his 
brothers canii* down to bny. fb>seph kiHMy tluMn 
at. onci\ bnt. tlu*\ did not drtMm that thi* ^'rc^it 



TIIK STOIIY OF JOKKIMI. 



33 



nilcr Ix'lorc^ whom llicy bowc-il so liiimhiy wjls 
l,li(^ir own cniclly wron;L;('.(| hi-oMicr fjosc.pli. 1 1(5 
lillcd Llicir sncks wil.li corn, ;ui(l piil, ('.;m*-1i m;i,ii's 
nioiH'-y l);i,('k iiil.o the- iiioiilJi of l.lic- s;m*I\. ^I hey 
wci'C' L;'i*('a,lly jihirincd wlicii Micy loiiiid ilic- money, 
:is ilicy wc.i'c- i'('l.iii'nin,L;' home. Hie, L;r(',:il, I'lilc.r 
liad k('|)l, Micm Uircc, (l;i,ys in IO?_;y|)L lie, lold 
t,li('m lili;d, Mn\y wci'c, spies, imd li;i,d (incslioned 
Micm ;d)oul, Idieir r;i,l,liei- ;i,nd llicir home. 1Miey 
]i;mI l,ohl him l,iuly ;dl ;d)OMl, lh<'-ii' I'iiXher, l.lieii* 
litlJe hrol.hei-, jind the hiol.hei- wdio '' w;i,s noL." 

floS(^|)h luilked wiMi l.hem l,hi"on^h jui iid.erpre- 
l,ei-, iind liiey h;i,d iiol, l,hou;-;hl, lJi;i,l, he un(h'rsl,oo(I 
every word they s;i.id ;Mnon;^' Lliemsel ves. L*,enhen 
told them l,h;d, it was beea-use ot theii" eiiielty to 
flose|)li tliat they were lia.vinj^" sn(di ti'ouhh'. And 
the rnh'r ha,d only h't them ?_;•(), as they promised 
to brini;' to him tlieii* youn.L;" hrotlier. lie had 
even k(^pt their brother Simeon, to make sure> 
th(\y wonhl keep (,lieii- piomise. Now eacli man 
rontid his money in the month ol" Ids sa.ek. Iliul 
some enemy doni^ this V 'I'hey W(M'e in sorc^ 
trouble. WIhmi l^lic^y rearhed home they told their 



34 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

father all that had befallen them, and the old 
man wept and said, — 

'' Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will 
take Benjamin. All these things are against me.'' 

When the corn was gone, and the famine still 
continued, Jacob said to his sons, — 

" Go again ; buy us a little food.'' 

They dared not go back without their brother, 
and at last the father said, — 

'^ Take of the best fruits in the land ... a 
present, a little balm, a little honey, spices and 
myiTh, nuts and almonds. . . . And take double 
money in your hand. . . . Take also your brother. 
. . . And God Almighty give you mercy before 
the man, that he may send away your other 
brother, and Benjamin." 

When they had come again to Egypt, and 
Joseph saw that they had brought his brother 
Benjamin, he told the ruler of his house to " bring 
these men home, and slay, and make ready ; for 
these men shall dine with me at noon." The 
brothers w^ere much alarmed when they heard this, 
and they told the steward of the money which 



THE STORY OF JOSEPH. 35 

they had found in their sacks. But he told them 
to fear not. " God hath given you treasure in 
your sacks : I had your money.'^ 

Simeon was brought out to them, and they were 
told that they were to dine in the ruler's house. 
AVhen Joseph came at noon, they gave him the 
present, and bowed themselves to the earth. He 
asked of their health, and of their father, if he 
was yet alive. Again they bowed themselves as 
they answered him. Then he saw Benjamin, and 
said, — 

'^ Is this your younger brother ? . . . God be 
gracious to thee, my son.'' 

Now he could no longer control himself, and 
went into his chamber and wept. '^ He washed 
his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and 
said. Set on bread." 

How it was, they did not know, but the ruler 
seated each brother according to his age, and Ben- 
jamin was especially cared for. After a merry 
feast, Joseph ordered each man's sack to be filled 
full, and his money to be put in the mouth of the 
sack. Into Benjamin's sack he told his "steward 
to put, with his money, his own silver cup. 



36 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

They were very happy as they started home- 
ward^ but had only gone a little distance when the 
steward came searching for the silver cup. They 
were all shocked when it was found in Benjamin's 
sack, and went back at once to the city. 

Joseph was still at his house ; and Judah, one 
of the brothers, told him the pitiful story of his 
father's love and grief at the loss of his son 
Joseph. The great ruler had decreed that all 
might return to their country except Benjamin ; 
and Judah pleaded that he might become a bonds- 
man in the place of his brother. He could not 
think of going back without the lad, to witness 
his father's sorrow and death ; for he said, " His 
life is bound up in the lad's life." 

Joseph ordered every man to go away except 
his brothers, and then he wept aloud. He said, — 

^^ I am Joseph. Doth my father yet live ? " 

Their shame and terror may be imagined, yet 
the kind brother told them not to fear. God had 
sent him to Egypt to save the people. He is able 
to overrule all that wicked men can do. 

Joseph told them to hasten back to Canaan, and 



THE STORY OF JOSEPH. 37 

bring their father, their iamilies, and all that they 
had, and he would care for them all. For there 
were yet to be five years of famine. 

This was Joseph's sweet revenge. 

The meeting of Jacob with the son for whom 
he had mourned so many years is one of the most 
beautiful pictures in the Book. 



QUESTIONS. 

Who was Joseph's father ? 
How many brothers had he ? 
How old was Joseph ? 
Why did his father love him ? 
What did he give him ? 
Why did his brothers hate him ? 
What did Jacob bid Joseph do ? 
When his brothers saw him coming what did 
they say ? 

Which brother said, " Let us not kill him '' ? 
What did he tell them to do ? 
Did he intend to save him ? 



38 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

While Eeuben was away, what did his brothers 
do? 

What did they tell Joseph's father? 

What did the traders do with Joseph ? 

Did he make friends here ? 

Who caused him to be cast into prison ? 

What did the keeper of the prison do ? 

What did Joseph tell the two prisoners who 
told him their dreams ? 

Did the butler remember Joseph when he was 
restored to favor ? 

What caused him to remember ? 

Did Joseph interpret the king's dream? 

What did the king do for Joseph ? 

Why did he do this ? 

What sweet revenge had Joseph on his cruel 
brothers ? 

How long did the famine continue in Egypt ? 

Did Joseph's brothers repent of their great sin ? 

What kind words did Joseph say to them ? 

What did he bid them do ? 



d 



MOSES. 39 



CHAPTEE IX. 



MOSES. 



The first picture we have of the great and good 
man Moses, is of a little babe of three months, hid- 
den away in an ark of bulrushes, on the banks of 
the river Nile. His mother had hidden him there 
to try to save his life. The cruel king of Egypt 
had made a decree that all the male children of 
the Hebrews should be killed as soon as they were 
born. For his people were jealous of the Hebrews, 
who had now been in Egypt four hundred years. 
This King Pharaoh did not know Joseph ; and 
the Hebrews were so many and so strong, that, do 
all he could, he could not keep them from pros- 
pering. 

The king's daughter went down to the river 
with her maidens to bathe, and she saw the little 
ark among the rushes. She sent a maid to bring 
the ark, and the babe wept. The child's cry 



40 TliUE STORIES FKOM THE JiOOK. 

touched the tender heart of the princess, and she 
said, — 

^^ This is one of the Hebrews' children." 

Miriam, the sister of Moses, who had been 
watching the ark, said, '' Shall I go and call to 
thee a nurse of the Hebrew women ? '' And the 
princess said, '^ Go.'' 

So Miriam went and called the child's mother ; 
and she cared for him till he was old enough to go 
to the king's palace, when the princess adopted 
him, and called him Moses, because, she said, ^^I 
drew him out of the water." Thus one of the 
doomed children became a royal prince, but God 
had a higher place yet for him. 

His heart was filled with pity for his people 
when he saw how they were wronged, and he slew 
an Egyptian who was smiting a Hebrew. This 
came to the king's ears, and Moses had to fly for 
his life. He went to Midian, where he became 
a shepherd. Here God called him to go to Egypt 
and lead His people back to Canaan. In their 
sore distress they had called upon God, and He 
had heard their prayer. 



MOSES. 41 

He spoke to Moses from a burning bush, which 
was not consumed. He called, — 

'^ Moses, Moses/' and told him that He was 
God, and would send him to be a deliverer to His 
people. " And Moses hid his face ; for he was 
afraid to look upon God.'' He was a very meek 
and humble man ; and the great God, who knew 
him better than he knew himself, told him what 
he was to do. 

He was to go to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, 
and tell him that the God of the Hebrews had met 
His people, and would have him let them go to 
their own land. 

He warned him that the king would refuse, but 
that after great miracles had been performed, at 
last he would let the people go. Moses was still 
afraid, and said that the king would not believe 
that God sent him. Then the Lord changed the 
staff which Moses held in his hand into a serpent, 
then back into a rod again. He pleaded that he was 
" slow of speech," and God said that his brother 
Aaron might go with him. 

At last Moses and Aaron went before King 



42 TRUE STOKIES FEOM THE BOOK. 

Pharaoh, and told him the message. The king 
was angry and said, "Who is the Lord, that I 
should obey His voice ? . . . I kno^v not the 
Lord, neither will I let Israel go.*' And he gave 
, harder tasks to the poor slaves, and made their 
lives very bitter. He was building grand public 
works, the ruins of which are seen in Egypt 
to-day ; and, though he hated the Israelites, he 
would not let them go. So obstinate and cruel 
was he, that the Lord sent many pld^gues upon 
the land, which filled all the people with terror. 

Sometimes he would consent to their going ; but 
just as soon as the plague was removed, he wonld 
again refuse. At last the Lord told His people 
to kill a lamb, and to mark with its blood the 
posts of the doors of all their dvrellings. They 
were to eat this lamb, one for every household, 
" roast with fire, and unleavened bread, with bitter 
herbs." Lor at midnight the death angel should 
pass through the land, and in every home where 
the blood was not upon the doorposts the first- 
born should die. 

There was great mourning through all the land 




Death of the First-born. 



MOSES. 43 

of Egypt at midniglit ; for in every house, from the 
palace of the king to the prison, there was one 
dead. The people were in such mortal terror that 
they urged the Israelites to go now, and the king 
said to Moses and Aaron, — 

" Eise up, and get you forth from among my 
people, both ye and the children of Israel; . . . 
take your flocks and your herds, . . . and bless 
me also." 

The people sent them out in great haste, for, 
they said, '^ We be all dead men.'^ 

The Israelites went at once ; for they were all 
ready, with God for their Leader, and Moses for 
their guide. He gave them, to go before them, a 
pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire b}^ 
night. But the unhappy king, as soon as he saw 
so many of his toiling slaves depart, was sorry he 
had sent them. He was so mad as to follow them 
with his army, and now the poor Israelites thought 
that they were lost indeed. 

They had reached the Eed Sea ; on either side 
were mountains, and behind them, Pharaoh with 
his host. How could they escape ? God drove 



44: TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

back the waters of His sea, and led them across on 
dry land. The Egyptians followed into the path 
which looked so safe ; but the waters came back 
when the Israelites were safe over, and the Egyp- 
tians were all drowned. 

As we read the story in the Book, we wonder 
that the people whom God cared for so tenderly 
could turn from Him. 

Yet Moses had more trouble with the half 
million of his own people, whom he led, than with 
all the Egyptians. 

Though he fed them with manna every day, and 
gave them water from the rock, so rebellious and 
stubborn were they, that Moses had to wander 
forty years in the wilderness with them, and at 
last was not permitted to enter the promised land. 

He had, just once, when the people were muti- 
nous, said, — 

" Must ive bring water out of the rock ? " when 
it was God who did it. 

Yet Moses Avas a man beloved of God. He had 
talked with Him alone on Mount Sinai, as a man 
talks with his friend, amid the thunder and light- 



MOSES. 45 

ning which made all the people tremble. There 
He had given him the summary of all righteous 
laws in the Ten Commandments. 

Now God permits him to go up into Mount 
Nebo, and look down upon the land which He had 
chosen for His people. 

He died there, and God hurled him. 

Moses is believed to have written the five books 
of the Bible known as the Pentateuch. 



QUESTIONS. 

Why was the little babe left on the banks of the 
Nile? 

Who found him there ? 

Who was watching near by ? 

What did the princess tell Miriam to do ? 

What did the child become ? 

Why was he not satisfied ? 

What did he do ? 

Where did he go to escape from the king's 
anger ? 



46 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Who called him back from Midian ? 

How did God speak to him ? 

What was Moses' character ? 

Did he obey at once ? 

Whom did God permit to go with him to the 
king ? 

What was the message ? 

How did the king receive it ? 

Did the king let the people go ? 

What were sent npon the land ? 

How did the Egyptians feel ? 

What was the last punishment God sent upon 
them ? 

What did He bid His people do ? 

What should happen in every house where the 
blood upon the doorposts was not found ? 

Did this come to pass ? 

What did the king and the people beg the Isra- 
elites to do now ? 

What did they say ? 

Did the Israelites go ? 

Who was their Leader, and who was their 
guide ? 



MOSES. 47 

What token of His presence did God give to go 
before them ? 

What foolish thing did the king do when he 
saw his slaves depart ? 

What did God do for His people at the Eed 
Sea? 

What became of the Egyptians ? 

Were God's people good and obedient after all 
this ? 

Where were the Ten Commandments given ? 

How long did the people wander on account of 
their sins ? 

Did Moses enter the promised land ? 

Did he look upon it ? 

From what mountain ? 

What took place there ? 

Who buried Moses ? 

Who wrote the Pentateuch ? 



48 TRUE STOEIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE X. 
SAIfSOy^, THE STBOXG MAN. 

Samson was noted for his great strengtii. From 
a little child he had been a ISTazarite, which means 
^^ set apart for God's service ; " and in his long 
hair^ which had never been cut^ lay the secret 
of his strength. 

God used him as a sconrge to punish the ene- 
mies of his people. These enemies^ the Philis- 
tines, ruled over Israel because they did not 
drive them out as God commanded them to do. 

Samson chose a wife from the Philistines ; and 
when he went to see her^ a young lion came out 
and ^^ roared against him.'' Samson "rent him as 
he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in 
his hand." 

Afterward he burned the '- standing corn " of 
the Philistines, who had wronged him, and they 
sent an army to take him. He allowed himself to 



SAMSON, THE STRONG MAN. 49 

be bound and delivered into their hands. They 
were so delighted that they gave a great shout. 
He broke the cords which bound him, and with 
the jawbone of an ass he killed a thousand men. 

He was made one of the judges of Israel. 

At one time his enemies thought they had him 
safe in Gaza. But at midnight he took the gates of 
the city, and carried them away to the top of a hill. 

But what all the power of his enemies could 
not accomplish, a false woman did. Delilah per- 
suaded him to tell her where his great strength 
lay. And when he was asleep she cut off his 
hair, and his strength was gone. 

Then the Philistines " took him and put out his 
eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound 
him with fetters of brass ; and he did grind in the 
prison house.'' 

This was the man who, when the Lord was 
with him, carried away the gates of Gaza; who^ 
since then, had for twenty years been one of the 
judges of Israel. 

But while in prison his hair grew again, and 
his stren^^'th returned. 



50 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

The Philistines made a great feast to Dagon, 
their god. to praise hini that he had given their 
enemy into their hands. They brought the blind 
man out to make sport, and praised their god 
and Avere very merry. 

The house ^vas full of men and women, and 
there were three thousand of them upon the 
roof, looking on and making fun of the prisoner ; 
and Samson asked the lad who led him to let him 
lean upon the pillars on which the house rested. 
AYhen he felt them, he prayed God for help, 
that he might be avenged of his cruel enemies. 
Then he said. — 

^' Let me die with the Philistines, '^ and grasped 
the pillars, and bowed himself. 

The house came down upon the lords and 
ladies : and Samson slew more of his enemies 
at his death than he had during his life. 



J 



SAMSON, THE STRONG MAN. 61 

QUESTIONS. 

For what was Samson noted ? 

What did God use him for ? 

Who were these enemies ? 

Where did Samson choose his wife ? 

What happened when he went to see her ? 

What did he afterwards do to the Philistines ? 

Did he allow them to take him ? 

What did he do when they were shouting over 
this ? 

What did he do at Gaza ? 

What office did he hold ? 

What did a false woman do ? 

Where did his strength lay ? 

What did the Philistines do ? 

When his hair grew again, and his strength 
returned, what took place ? 

What was Samson's prayer ? 

AVhat did he then do ? 



52 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER XI. 
THE STORY OF SAMUEL. 

One of the most beautiful characters in all 
the Book is that of Samuel^ who lived more 
than three thousand years ago, and who is 
known all over the world to-day. Samuel was 
blessed with a noble mother and a royal home. 
Han^nah, his mother, was a woman of faith and 
prayer ;. and she gave the boy whom God had 
sent her to Him as soon as he was born. 

She took him to the house of the Lord with 
offerings for sacrifice, and told Eli, the priest, 
that she lent the child to the Lord. Then she 
worshipped and sang a beautiful song of praise 
to God, which is written in the Book. Every 
year she brought her boy a little coat when she 
came up with her family to the temple to the 
yearly sacrifice. The child '- ministered before the 
Lord/' girded with a linen ephod. He waited on 



THE STORY OF SAMUEL. 63 

the aged priest, and learned of him, and in after 
years became a great prophet, as we shall see. 

It is sad to read, that in the very temple of 
God were vile, wicked men, Hophni and Phin- 
eas, sons of Eli the priest. The sin of Eli was 
that ^^his sons made themselves vile, and he re- 
strained thein not.^' But Samuel was not harmed 
by these wicked men. He did his duty simply 
and faithfully. And God spoke to him at night, 
calling, — 

" Samuel.'' 

The lad ran at once to the priest, who, he 
thought, had called him, and said, " Here am I, for 
thou calledst me.'' 

Eli said, " I called not, lie down again." And 
he obeyed. Again the voice was heard, " Samuel," 
and he ran to Eli, saying, — 

'^ Here am I, for thou didst call me ; " and again 
the old priest told him that he had not called him. 
He should lie down again. When Samuel came 
the third time, saying that Eli called him, the 
priest knew that it was the Lord. He told him to 
answer, if he was called again, '' Speak, Lord ; for 
Thy servant heareth." 



54 TKUE STOBIES FROM THE BOOK. 

The voice came again, and Samuel said, — 

" Speak, for Tliy servant liearetli.'' 

Then the Lord told him He would punish the 
house of Eli for their wickedness. In the morn- 
ing the priest asked Samuel what the Lord had 
said to him. And Samuel told him truly. The 
poor, weak old man said, " It is the Lord : lei 
Him do what seemeth Him good.'' 

And for the sins of the sons of Eli, the Lord 
suffered the Philistines to defeat Israel ; and 
Hophni and Phineas were killed, and the ark of 
the Lord was taken. Now. tlie ark was the place 
where (xod manifested Himself to His people, 
and was ver}' sacred. It was to l)e giia.i-ded very 
jealously, and the people knew that the loss of 
the ark meant the loss of God's protection and 
care. When Eli heard that the ark of God was 
taken, he fell heavily, and his neck was broken. 
In one day all these sad events occurred, and all 
because of sin. 

But the joy of the Philistines was great, because 
they had taken the terrible ark of God, which they 
so feared. They carried it to Ashdod^ and placed 




Samuel and Ell 



i 



THE STORY OF SAMUEL. 55 

it in the temple of their god Dagon. In the morn- 
ing the people who went into the temple found 
Dagon lying on his face before the ark. They 
set up the idol in his place again; but the next 
morning they found Dagon lying on his face again^ 
his head and both hands broken off^ and only the 
stump left. And the people of Ashdod were sick^ 
and many died^ so they all feared the ark of God, 
and entreated that it might be taken away. The 
lords of the Philistines then took it to Gath ; but 
the sickness and death followed, and the men of 
Gath soon sent it away. 

Tliey were about to carry it into Ekron ; but the 
men of the city cried out : — 

^^They have brought the ark of the God of 
Israel to us, to slay us and our people."^ 

Then they began to believe that the only safe 
thing to do was to take this terrible ark back to 
its own place. They placed jewels of gold for an 
offering with the ark, and placed it on a new 
cart, drawn by two cows — the calves left at home 
— and sent it back to Israel. Now, the cows would 
not have left their little calves and gone in the 



56 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

opposite direction if the Lord had not sent them ; 
but they went straight to Beth-shemesh, and the 
men of Israel, who were gathering the wheat-har- 
vest, looked up to see the ark of God wdth the 
lords of the Philistines. 

The cows were offered as a burnt offering to the 
Lord, and the lords returned to their own country. 
But the people to whom the ark was sent did not 
fear God as they ought. They offered burnt sac- 
rifices in plenty; but thousands of them crowded 
around the ark, and looked into it, Avhich was 
strictly forbidden. ]\Iore than fifty thousand men 
died for this daring sin ; and the people said, 
^^AYho is able to stand before this holy Lord 
God?*' and sent messengers to Kirjath-jearim to 
have them take the ark aA^'a3^ 

It rested in this city twenty years ; and Samuel 
told the people, who '- lamented after the Lord,'' to 
put away their false gods, and he would pray for 
them. Then they fasted and prayed, and con- 
fessed their sin. And Samuel was judge over 
Israel. 

The Philistines came against Israel, but God was 



i 



THE STORY OF SAMUEL. . 57 

with them, and they were driven back, and lost 
even the cities which they had taken from Israel. 

Samuel was greatly loved and trusted by all the 
people, but his sons were not true and noble as 
he was. They " took bribes and perverted judg- 
ment.'' 

The elders of Israel came to Samuel and said, — 

"Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in 
thy ways : now make us a king to judge us like 
all the nations.'' 

God allows people to choose for themselves, 
whether they choose wisely or not. He had ruled 
over Israel, and no earthly king could govern so 
wisely or so mercifully as He. But they chose 
to have a king, and He told Samuel to " hearken 
unto their voice, and make them a king." 



QUESTIONS. 

Who was the mother of Samuel ? 
Where was his home ? 
What did Hannah tell Eli the priest ? 
What did she then do ? 



68 TRUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 

What did his mother bring to Samuel every year ? 

What was SamueFs work ? 

What vile men were in the temple of God ? 

Whose sons were they ? 

What was the sin of Eli ? 

Was Samuel harmed by these bad men ? 

What did he hear in the night ? 

Who was it that called him ? 

What did He tell him ? 

When Eli asked Samuel what the Lord said to 
him. did Samuel tell ^ 

i )i(l it all coiiie to pass ? 

\\'ha,t lia.|>|)eiit:'(l to VA\ V 

Wliy were the Philistines glad */ 

What happened to their god Dagon when the 
ark was carried into his temple ? 

What happened to it next ? 

What came to the people of Ashdod ? 

What did they plead for ? 

When the ark was carried to Gath, what took 
place ? 

When they were about to carry it to Ekron, 
what did the people do ? 



I 



THE STORY OF SAMUEL. 59 

What did tliey now believe ? 

What did they do ? 

Did the cows go back to Beth-shemesh Avith the 
ark? 

What did the men of Israel who were gathering 
wheat do when they saw the ark coming home ? 

Did the people to whom the ark came fear God 
as they should ? 

How many died for disobeying God ? 

What did the people say ? 

How lon.ci' did the ark rest a,t Kirja.th-jearim ? 

What did Suiiiiud ])id tlie people do'/ 

What was Saiimtd. made? 

Was lie h)ved and trusted ? 

Were his sons like him ? 

What did the elders of Israel say to him ? 

Did this please God ? 

Why not ? 

Who had ruled over Israel ? 

Did He grant their request ? 



60 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE XII. 

SAUL, THE KING. 

The man whom God chose to be king over 
Israel was Saul, a fair young man of the tribe 
of Benjamin. He told Samuel whom He had 
chosen, and that He would send the young man 
to him on the morrow. 

The prophet was in the city where the people 
were preparing to offer a sacrifice in the high 
place ; and when Saul and his servant came to 
him to inquire after the lost asses which they had 
been seeking for many days. Samuel knew at once 
that this was the man. Samuel took Saul and his 
servant into the parlor and gave them the high- 
est places at the feast, and treated them with the 
greatest respect. 
. He told him that the asses which he had been 
seeking were found, and hinted to him that he was 
to be king over Israel. Saul was modest, and 



SAUL, THE KING. 61 

instead of being elated at the thought, he told the 
prophet that he belonged to one of the smallest 
tribes of Israel, and that his father's house was 
among the least of his tribe. 

Yet, when the prophet sent Saul away in the 
morning, he anointed him with oil as king. He 
told him that he should meet a company of 
prophets, and said, — 

" The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, 
and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be 
turned into another man.'' Then he should " do 
as occasion serve thee ; for God is with thee." 

This was a royal promise, and as soon as Saul 
turned away it all came to pass. Saul met the 
prophets, and " God gave him another heart," and 
he prophesied among them. 

Then the prophet Samuel called all Israel to- 
gether. He told them hew would show them the 
king; and when lots were cast, Saul, the son of 
Kish, was chosen. But they could not find him 
when they went to tell him. He had hidden him- 
self away. At last they found him ; and when the 
people saw his line form, "from his shoulders up- 
ward higher than all the people," they shouted, — 



62 TRUE STORIES EKOM THE BOOK. 

" God save the king ! '' 

But some evil-minded men despised him. 

One of the cities of Israel was attacked by the 
Ammonites. Xahash^ the leader, said he would 
" put out all their right eyes/^ and thus he would 
make a covenant with them. 

The people wept ; and when Saul learned the 
cause, he called together an army of three hun- 
dred and thirty thousand men^ and attacked the 
invaders, and destro3'ed them. Then the people 
all were glad and proud to own King Saul, and he 
was generous. He would not allow one of those 
who had des^^ised him to be slain. But, alas ! 
King Saul's great successes lifted him up. He 
forgot that he was victor because God was with 
him. He had only reigned two years, when he 
grew impatient because Samuel did not come to 
offer the burnt-offering when the land was again 
invaded. And he offered it hwiself, which was 
forbidden. 

When Samuel came he told the rash king that 
God would choose another man to fill his place. 
But Saul was as unwilling to yield up the rule as 



SAUL, THE KINGo 63 

he was to be made king at first. Again he dis- 
obeyed God. He sent him to Amalek to utterly 
destroy them, and all they possessed ; but the king 
saved King A gag, and the best of the oxen and 
the sheep. 

When the prophet asked him why he did this, 
he said that he had obeyed God, but the people 
had brought the oxen and the sheep to offer in 
sacrifice to God. Then the prophet said, " to obey 
is better than sacrifice.'^ 

The unhappy king pleaded with Samuel. He 
said, — 

^^I have sinned, . . . because I feared the 
people.'^ 

He asked that he might, at least, be honored 
before the people ; and that he might worship 
God. This petition was granted. But after the 
Lord had left King Saul to his own choice, an evil 
spirit troubled him. 

Samuel went down to Bethlehem, and anointed 
David, a young shepherd boy, whom God had 
chosen as the future king of Israel. And king 
Saul sent for this same shepherd boy to play on 



64 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

the harp before him. When the evil spirit troubled 
the king, the music of David's harp drove it away, 
and he was well. Saul loved the boy, and all 
knew that the Lord was with him. 

There was war again with the Philistines, and 
David was sent home, and his brothers went- to 
the war. And Jesse, his father, sent David with 
presents to his brothers and to their captain. 
When he came where the two-'great armies were 
arrayed against each other, a giant named Goliath 
came out from the Philistines, and defied the Is- 
raelites. He had done this fort}' days, and all 
feared him greatly. 

David's heart was full of anger at this man, 
because he dared ^- to defy the armies of the living 
God.^' The}' had forgotten this. When Eliab, 
David's brother, heard his brave words, he was 
very angry. He asked him why he had left his 
sheep, and told him that he had come down to see 
the battle. But David was sent for by Saul, the 
king. And the lad said, — 

'^ Let no man's heart fail because of him : thy 
servant will go and light with this Philistine." 




David Goes to Meet Goliath. 



SAUL, THE KING. 66 

The king told him that he was but a youth, and 
Goliath a man of war. Then David told the king 
how he had killed a lion and a bear, and that this 
proud giant should be like them because he "de- 
lied the armies of the living God." Saul said, 
^* Go, and the Lord be with thee.'' But he would 
clothe him with heavy armor. David said, " I 
cannot go with these ; for I have not proved 
them.'' He took his staff in his hand, and five 
smooth stones from the brook, and with the sling 
in his hand went out to meet the giant. 

Goliath was very angry when he saw the fair, 
ruddy-faced, unarmed boy. He said, — 

" Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with 
staves ? " and " cursed David by his gods." 

The boy did not tremble. He said, " I come to 
thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, . . . whom 
thou hast defied. . . . The Lord saveth not with 
sword and spear . . . and He will give you into 
our hands." And David ran toward the giant, 
and with the sling sent a stone which sunk into 
his forehead, and the giant fell on his face. Then 
David ran and drew forth Goliath's own sword, 
(for he had none) and cut off his head. 



66 TRUE STOK1E8 FKOM THE BOOK. 

There was great shouting now, and the enemy 
fled, while the Israelites pursued them. Of course 
David was a great hero now ; but more than all 
the praises of the people he prized the love of 
Jonathan, the son of King Saul. But the king, 
who knew that the Lord had left him and was 
with David, hated him as much as his son loved 
him. Jealousy is as cruel as the grave, and so on 
the unhappy king sought to take David^s life. 

Jonathan helped his friend to escape, and David 
went to the prophet Samuel. The king sent men 
to take him at three times, but each time as soon 
as the men came to where the prophet was they 
began to prophesy. 

The Lord was with David, and all the king's 
plans to take him failed. At one time he came 
into the very cave where David and his men were 
hiding, and David cut off the skirt of the king's 
garment. He would not kill him as his men 
wished him to, though he could have done it. He 
would not " lift up his hand against the Lord's 
anointed." 

Saul sought to kill him, but David would not 



i 



SAUL, THE KING. 67 

harm Saul. At last Samuel died^ and David lost 
a friend. And the king was so full of misery and 
despair that he went to a woman who dealt with 
familiar spirits, like the fortune-tellers nowadays. 
She was called a witch, and lived at Endor. 

King Saul had killed all the others who dealt 
with familiar spirits ; and the woman was afraid, 
for her calling was unlawful. She did not know 
who her visitor was ; but he told her no harm 
should come to her, and asked her to call Samuel. 
When she had called, she cried with a loud voice. 
The king asked her what she saw. She said that 
she saw gods ascending out of the earth ; an old 
man covered with a mantle. The king said, "It is 
Samuel.'' Then the prophet told Saul again that 
God had rejected him, and the king fell upon his 
face. It was so hard for him to believe that the 
Lord had left him in the way he had chosen. 

The end came at last, and the king, and his son 
whom David loved, were slain by their enemies on 
Mount Gilboa. 

David was their sincere mourner, and wrote a 
beautiful song to their memory. " The beauty 



68 



TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



of Israel is slain upon thy high places : how are 
the mighty fallen ! " 

The friendship of David and Jonathan is one 
of the most beautiful things recorded in the Book. 

Another pleasant thing to read is the care 
which David always showed lest harm should 
come to the king who sought to take his life. 

This spirit showed that the Lord was with him, 
while King Saul showed by his evil deeds that 
God had left him to himself. 



QUESTIONS. 

"What was the man's name whom God chose for 
king ? 

What did he tell Samuel ? 

Where was the prophet ? and w^hat were the 
people preparing to do ? 

What did Samuel do with Saul and his servant ? 

What did he tell them ? 

Was Saul pleased to hear that he was chosen 
king? 



SAUL, THE KING. 69 

What did Samuel do ? 

What did he tell Saul ? 

Did it all come to pass ? 

What did the prophet tell the people when he 
called them together ? 

Did they find Saul at once ? 

When the people saw him, what did they shout ? 

Were they all of one mind ? 

What united them ? 

Was Saul modest and thankful to God for this 
victory ? 

Why did he offer the burnt offering ? 

What did Samuel tell the king when he came ? 

Was Saul willing to yield up his rule ? 

Did he again disobey God ? 

What did the prophet say to him ? 

What came to trouble Saul ? 

Whom did Samuel anoint as the future king of 
Israel ? 

For whom did the king send to charm away the 
evil spirit when it troubled him, by the music of 
the harp ? 

Why did Saul send David home ? 



70 



TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



What did Jesse^ his father, bid him do ? 

What giant did he see at the place of war ? 

Why was David so angry ? 

Was Eliab pleased with his brother ? 

Who sent for David ? 

What did he tell the king ? 

Did the king encourage him ? 

What did he say at last ? 

Did David wear the king's armor ? 

What did he wear ? 

What did Goliath say when he saw David ? 

Was David afraid ? 

What did he say to him ? 

What did he do ? 

What did the enemy do when their champion fell? 

What did David prize more than the people's 
praise ? 

Why did the king hate David ? 

What did he seek to do ? 

Who helped David to escape ? 

To whom did he go ? 

What happened to the men whom the king sent 
to take him ? 



SAUL, THE KING. 71 

Did the king capture him ? 

Who was with David ? 

Would he lift up his hand against King Saul ? 

What did the unhappy king do after Samuel 
died ? 

Where did he die at last ? and who was slain 
with him ? 

Who was their greatest mourner ? 



72 TKUE STORIES FKOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE XIII. 

KIXG DAVID, 

Some of the most beautiful poetry known was 
written by the shepherd king whom the Lord 
chose when He rejected Saul. The Psalms were 
the overflow of his heart, which was filled with 
the Divine Spirit. He reigned long and wisely 
over Israel, but he was not a perfect man. All 
his evil deeds are written in his history as truly 
as his good ones. But when he saw that he had 
sinned against God. he repented deeply, and tried 
to atone for his sin. 

He was a great king, and was much loved by 
his people, who were very proud of him. 

Yet he suffered greatly from a rebellious son, 
who perished in his sin, yet whom his father 
loyed and mourned deeply. He showed his love 
for Jonathan, the son of Saul, by the kindness 
and care he gave to his lame son, ]\Iephibosheth. 



KING DAVID. 73 

King David lived to a great age^ a wise and 
prosperous king, and when he knew he was about 
to die named for his successor his son Solomon. 



QUESTIONS. 

Who wrote the beautiful poetry known as 
Psalms ? 

Was he a perfect man ? 

Was he a great king ? 

When he knew that he had sinned against God^ 
what did he do ? 

Who caused him great sorrow ? and what became 
of this man ? 

Did David love him still ? 

How did he show his love for his dead friend, 
Jonathan ? 

Did he live long ? and was his reign prosperous ? 

When he Avas about to die, whom did he name 
as his successor ? 



74 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE Xiy. 
THE WISE KING. 

The young King of Israel commenced his reign 
well. He '^ loved the Lord, and walked in the 
statutes of David his father." 

The Lord appeared to him in a dream and said 
unto him, — 

'' Ask what I shall give thee." 

And Solomon asked that wisdom might be given 
him that he might judge the great people rightly. 

This answer pleased the Lord ; and he gave him 
not only wisdom, but riches and honor. ^^ As wise 
as King Solomon " has passed into a proverb. 

King Solomon built the great temple at Jeru- 
salem, of marble covered with gold, one of the 
most beautiful buildings the world has ever 
known. The temple was seven years in building, 
and many thousand men were constantly employed 
upon it. It was dedicated to the King of kings, 



% THE WISE KING. 75 

who is not only the E-uler of Israel, but the Crea- 
tor and Euler of all the worlds. 

It could not have been too grand and beauti- 
ful for such a glorious Being, yet He loves the 
human temples which are His better than all this 
grandeur. The temple, which was so magnificent, 
its very floors overlaid with gold, is not so pre- 
cious in His sight as the heart consecrated to 
Him, and which is filled with His love. 

King Solomon built a beautiful house for him- 
self, after the temple was finished. It was fur- 
nished with royal magnificence, for he was richer 
than any other king. The Book says he ^^ ex- 
ceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and 
for wisdom." More than these, God talked ivith 
him. He appeared to him the second time and 
renewed His promises. He also ivarned him faith- 
fully, that if he turned from Him, He would '^ cut 
off Israel out of the land," and that the temple 
itself should be cast out of His sight. 

With these promises and threatenings from 
One whose word cannot fail, with every wish 
of his heart gratified, it seems strange indeed 



76 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

that King Solomon, who wrote such words of 
truth and wisdom, should forget God. Yet a 
cloud of gloom rests over his closing history. 

He taught from his own experience, that riches, 
honors, even earthly wisdom, cannot satisfy the 
deathless soul. Many, since he lived, have learned 
the same lesson. The soul, which is His immor- 
tal breath, can only be satisfied with G-od. 

The wise, rich, glorious king died like the 
poorest beggar, for death levels all distinctions. 
His example is left us for a study, and for a 
warning. His words of wisdom, inspired by the 
Spirit of truth, will live forever. 



QUESTIONS. 

How did the young king commence his reign? 
What answer did he make when God asked him 
what He should give him ? 
Did his answer please God ? 
What is a well-known saying ? 
What did Solomon build ? 



THE WISE KING. 77 

How long was the temple in building ? 

Was it a beautiful building ? 

To whom was it dedicated ? 

Could it have been too grand and beautiful for 
Him? 

Yet what does He love more ? 

What else did Solomon build ? 

When God appeared to him the second time 
with renewed promises, did He also warn him ? 

Did he possess all the wealth and honor that 
the world can give ? 

Did they satisfy his soul ? 

Who alone can do this ? 

What levels all distinctions ? 

What has the great king left for us ? 



I 



78. 



TKUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE XV. 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET, 



Elijah was a prophet of the Lord, who lived 
when Ahab was king of Israel. Xo other, of all 
the kings whose stories are written in the Book, 
has a worse record \ unless we except Jezebe his 
queen, who seems to have been the inspire r of 
his evil deeds. 

Perhaps her wickedness was natural, for she 
was daughter of Ethbaal, king of Zidon, who 
worshipped the god Baal ; and she was herself 
a fierce devotee of the same false god. 

It was a great sorrow to the good prophet, 
to see an altar to the false, foul god set up in 
the land which God had called His own, and 
to see all the people following the king and the 
queen in their worship of Baal. 

The prophet told the king that there should 
be no rain nor dew in the land for three years. 
God would punish the land for its foul idolatry. 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 79 

He told Elijah to hide himself by the brook 
Cherith, and that the ravens should feed him. 
Elijah obeyed, and every morning and every 
evening the ravens came with food for him ; 
and he drank of the water of the brook until 
it dried up. 

Then the Lord told him to go to the city of 
Zarephath, where was a widow who would sustain 
him. He obeyed ; and when he came to the city 
gate, the widow was there gathering sticks. He 
asked her to bring him a little water. 

As she turned to go, he said, — 

"Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in 
thine hand.'' 

Then she told him that she had not a cake, only 
a handful of meal and a little oil. She was just 
gathering sticks to cook it for herself and son she 
said, "'that we may eat it, and die.'' 

Elijah said to her, " Fear not ; go do as thou 
hast said : but make me thereof a little cake first, 
and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and 
thy son." The woman did not stop to question or 
to argue. 



80 TRUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 

She obeyed ; and the meal in the barrel, and the 
oil in the cruse, did not grow less, though every 
day she made cakes for the prophet and for her- 
self and son. 

But the child was very sick, and ^^ there Avas no 
breath left in him." She cried unto the prophet, 
and he said to her, — 

" Give me thy son." 

He took him from her arms, and carried him to 
the loft where he lived, and laid him upon his own 
bed. Then he prayed earnestly that ^' the child's 
soul might come into him again." God heard his 
prayer, and the child revived, and the prophet 
brought him to his mother. 

The woman was very glad, and said, "By this 
I know that thou art a man of God, and that the 
word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth." 

The Lord told Elijah, when the third year of 
the drought had come, to show himself to King 
Ahab, and He would send rain upon the earth. 

Obadiah, the governor of the king's house, was 
a servant of the living God. When the queen 
ordered all the prophets of the Lord to be slain, 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 81 

he had hid one hundred of them in two caves, 
and had fed them through the three years of 
famine. 

Now Elijah met this good man ; and when the 
king's servant saw him, he fell on his face, and 
said, — 

" Art thou my lord Elijah ? '' 

"1 am/' the prophet said; ^^go tell thy lord, 
Behold, Elijah is here.'' Then Obadiah told him 
that the king had sought for him through every 
nation, and if he should tell him that he was 
here, the Spirit of the Lord would carry him 
away, and the king would slay him. Elijah said, 
^^As the Lord liveth, I will surely shew myself 
unto him to-day." 

So the king's servant told his master, and Ahab 
came to meet Elijah. His first word was, — 

" Art thou he that troubleth Israel ? '^ 

The prophet said, — 

" I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy 
father's house." 

He told him they had forsaken the command- 
ments of the Lord and turned to Baal. Then he 



82 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

told him to call all the people together at Mount 
Carmel, and all the priests of Baal. There were 
eight hundred and fifty of these priests, and a 
great multitude of people, who came to Mount 
Carmel at the king's call, and only Elijah, the 
prophet of the Lord. But he was not afraid, for 
God was with Mm. He said to the people, — 

" How long halt ye between two opinions ? if 
the Lord be God, follow Him : but if Baal, then 
follow him.'^ ^^ And the people answered him not 
a word.'^ 

Then the prophet said, — 

^^ I . . . only remain a prophet of the Lord ; but 
Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.'' 

He told the people to bring two bullocks, and 
the priests of Baal should choose one, and ^^cut 
it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire 
under." He would ^- dress the other bullock, and 
lay it on wood, and put no fire under." They 
should call on the name of their god, and he 
would call on the name of the Lord. " And the 
God that answereth by fire, let him be God." 

^^It is well spoken," was the answer of the 
people. 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 83 

• 
The priests of Baal offered their sacrifice in 

the morning, and cried until noon, — 

" Baal, hear us ! '' 

There was no voice; and they leaped upon the 
altar, and cut themselves with knives and lancets 
till the blood gushed out. 

Elijah mocked them, — 

^' Cry aloud,'' he said, "^ for he is a god," '^ he is 
talking,'' or " he is on a journey," or " he sleepeth." 

All the long weary day they called in vain 
on the false god. The four hundred " priests 
of the groves" joined in their prayers probably, 
but all in vain. 

When the time came for the offering of the 
evening sacrifice, Elijah said to the people, — 

" Come near to me." 

He wanted them all to see for themselves what 
God would do. ^^ He repaired the altar of the 
Lord which was broken down." Then he took 
twelve stones, and built an altar, and dug a trench 
around it. He laid the wood upon this altar, and 
cut up the bullock and laid it upon the wood. 
Then he said, — 



84 



TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



'' Fill four barrels with water^ and pour it upon 
the burnt-sacrifice, and on the wood." This was 
done ; and he said, ^^ Do it the second time," and 
they did. Then, ^' Do it the third time," and they 
did. ^^The water ran about the altar; and he 
filled the trench also Avith water." 

Then Elijah prayed, — 

" Hear me, Lord, hear me, that this people 
may know that Thou art the Lord God." 

'- Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed 
the burnt-sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, 
and the dust, and licked up the water that was in 
the trench." Xo wonder that the people fell on 
their faces and cried, '^ The Lord He is the God ; 
the Lord He is the God." 

They were very ready now to slay the false 
prophets at the command of the prophet. 

Elijah said to King Ahab, ^^ Get thee up, eat 
and drink ; for there is a sound of abundance of 
rain." The king with a glad heart went to eat and 
drink, and the prophet went up to the top of Mount 
Carmel to pray. He had the promise of One who 
never fails, still he prayed. He sent his servant 




Elijah's Prayer Answered. 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 85 

seven times to ^^look toAvard the sea/' The 
seventh time he told his master that he saw a 
cloud rise out of the sea " like a man's hand." 

He told his servant to tell Ahab to prepare his 
chariot and go, lest the rain should stop him. He 
himself " ran before Ahab to the entrance of 
Jezreel." When the wicked Jezebel saw the rain 
which should save the ruined land, was she thank- 
ful ? No. 

She was so full of rage against Elijah when she 
heard of the death of her priests, that she sent 
him this message, — 

" So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I 
make not thy life as the life of one of them by to- 
morrow about this time." 

Poor foolish woman ! Her gods could no more 
help her revenge than they could answer by lire. 

The good prophet felt her fierce hatred and 
prayed to die. But the Lord had more work for 
him to do. He went into the wilderness and lay 
down under a juniper-tree, and angels fed him. 
This so refreshed him that he went forty days, 
and came to a cave in Mount Horeb. 



'86 



TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



Here the Lord said to liim. •• AVhat doest thou 
here. Elijah? '' And Elijah said that he had been 
so jealous for the honor of God that they sought 
his life, and he was the only servant of God who 
was left. The Lord told him that He had seven 
thousand men who had not boAved down to Baal. 

He told him to anoint kings for Syria and 
Israel, and a prophet. Elisha. to stand in his 
place. The prophet found Elisha ploughing with 
twelve yoke of oxen, and cast his mantle upon him 
as he passed by. 

Elisha said. — 

••' Let me. I pray thee, kiss my father and mother, 
and I will follow thee." And he offered a 'sacri- 
fice, and followed Elijah. 

King Ahab and his wicked queen did not learn 
to fear God who had been so merciful to them. 

Xear the palace was a vineyard which King 
Ahab wished to buy of Xaboth, its owner, for a 
garden. But Xaboth would not sell his inheri- 
tance. The king was sulky, and Queen Jezebel 
found out his trouble. She wrote letters in the 
king's name, to •• j^roclaim a fast." Xaboth was 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 87 

charged with blasphemy, and witnesses were hired 
to witness against him. He was condemned to be 
stoned to death. When this cruel sentence was 
carried out, she went in triumph to her husband, 
and said, — 

" Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Na- 
both ; . . . for iSTaboth is not alive, but dead.'' 
The king went to look at the vineyard which he 
coveted, and met Elijah there. 

The prophet said, — 

" Hast thou killed, and also taken possession ? 
... in the place where dogs licked the blood of 
ISTaboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.^' 

" Hast thou found me, mine enemy ? '' the 
king said. 

Elijah replied, that because he had sold himself 
to work evil, evil should come to him, and that 
he should be utterly destroyed. Of Jezebel, the 
wicked queen, he said, — 

" The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of 
Jezreel.*' 

And now, when Ahab saw his sin, and heard 
his sentence, he humbled himself before God. 



88 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

And did God have mercy upon him ? Yes ; God 
cannot lie, so the punishment was delayed. 

Three years longer Ahab reigned. He built 
many cities, and a house of ivory ; but at the last 
he went out with the king of Judah to war with 
the king of Syria, and was slain. And " the dogs 
licked up his blood/^ as the prophet Elijah had 
said. 

The wicked queen, too, was thrown out of a 
window by her own servants, and the word was 
fulfilled, — 

'^ The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of 
Jezreel.'^ > 

A wicked son of Ahab, named Ahaziah, reigned 
for two years after Ahab was killed. Then he was 
sick, and sent messengers to inquire of Baal-ze- 
bub, the god of Ekron, whether he should recover. 
Elijah met these messengers, and said to them, — 

'^ Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, 
that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of 
Ekron ? Xow therefore thus saith the Lord, — 
Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which 
thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.'^ 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 89 

When the messengers came to the king, he 
said, " Why are ye now turned back ? " Then they 
told him their message, and he asked them " what 
manner of man ^' told them these words. They 
said, — 

" He was a hairy man, with a girdle of leather 
about his loins.'' 

" It is Elijah,'' said the king ; and he sent a 
captain with fifty men to bring him. The captain 
saw him sitting on the top of a hill. He said, — 

" Thou man of God, the king hath said. Come 
down." 

" If I be a man of God, let fire come down from 
heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty." The fire 
came down, and they were all consumed. 

But the king sent another captain with his fifty. 
He must have been afraid ; for he said, " man of 
God, the king hath said. Come down quickly." 
Again Elijah said, — 

" If I be a man of God, let fire come down from 
heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty." And 
they, too, were consumed. 

The third captain of fifty whom the king sent 



90 THUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

went up with his men to Elijah, and fell on his 
knees, saying. — 

•• man of God. I pray thee, let my life, and the 
life of these fifty.be precious in thy sight." --And 
the angel of the Lord said, ... Go down with 
him : be not afraid of him.** So Elijah went down 
to the king, and told him that because he had 
turned away from the Lord to the false god Baal. 
he should die. And the king died. 

The prophet *s life had been a very sorrowful 
one. It grieved him sadly to see the people turn- 
ing from the true God to worship idols. It was a 
heavy cross to be a messenger to the kings who 
hated him so. — Ahab and Ahaziah. — and often 
he had desired to die. He had been true and loyal 
to God. and now He was about to grant his prayer 
in a manner that would cause him to be remem- 
bered as long as the world shall stand. 

The •'• sons of the prophets ** at Bethel knew 
that the day had come when Elijah should be 
called home, and they told Elisha. his servant, but 
he answered them, — 

•• Yea. I know it : hold ye your peace.*' The 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 91 

'' sons of the prophets ^^ watched them as they 
went on to the river Jordan. They saw Elijah 
smite the waters with his mantle. 

The waters divided, and the two passed over on 
dry ground. As they walked on, Elijah said to 
Elisha, — 

^^ Ask what I shall do for thee, before I betaken 
away from thee." And Elisha said, — 

'' I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit 
be upon me.'^ 

They still went on ; and as they talked, a chariot 
of fire and horses of fire appeared, and ^^ Elijah 
went up by a whirlwind into heaven.'' 

Only one other is spoken of in the Book, who 
did not taste death. Enoch ^^was not, for God 
took him.'' 

Now Elijah is called. The God whom he served 
so faithfully when all around him bowed down to 
false gods, honors him as no other man was ever 
honored. 

Elisha cried when he saw the grand spectacle, — 

" My . father, my father, the chariot of Israel, 
and the horsemen thereof." " And he saw him no 



92 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

more," but when he again reached the river Jor- 
dan, he knew that his prayer was heard. He 
smote the waters with the mantle of Elijah, and 
they parted as before, and he went over. The 
watching prophets said, '^ The spirit of Elijah 
doth rest on Elisha/' 



QUESTIONS. 

Who was Elijah ? 
Who was king of Israel ? 
What was his character ? 
Who was his inspirer ? 
Whose daughter was she ? 
What did they worship ? 
Was Elijah grieved at this ? 
What did he tell the king ? 
Why was this ? 

Where did God tell Elijah to hide ? 
How should he be fed ? 

When the brook dried up, what did he tell him 
to do ? 

What answer did the widow make to his request ? 



ELIJAH, THE PROPHET. 93 

What did Elijah say to her ? 

Did the woman do as he bade her ? 

Did the meal and oil fail ? 

What happened to the son of the widow ? 

Was Elijah's prayer heard ? 

When the third year of the drought had come, 
what did the Lord tell Elijah to do ? 

What servant of king Ahab feared to carry the 
message to his master ? 

Why did he fear ? 

When Ahab saw Elijah, what did he say ? 

What did the prophet answer ? 

What did he tell Ahab do ? 

How many were the priests of Baal ? 

To what mountain were they called ? 

What did Elijah say to the people ? 

How many prophets of the Lord were there ? 

Did Baal answer when his priests offered sacri- 
fice and prayer ? 

What did Elijah say ? 

What did he then do ? 

Did the Lord answer by fire ? 

What did the people do ? and what did they cry ? 

What did Elijah bid King Ahab do ? 



94 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Where did he go to pray ? 

How many times did he send his servant before 
he saw the cloud come up from the sea ? 

How large was it ? 

What did Jezebel say when she knew of all this ? 

Could her gods help her ? 

Did the prophet suffer for her hatred ? 

What did he do ? 

What did God say to him in Mount Horeb ? 

For what nations did He bid him anoint kings ? 

What prophet was to stand in his place ? 

What did Elijah do when he found Elisha 
ploughing ? 

What did Elisha say ? 

What did he then do ? 

Can you tell the story of Naboth ? 

When the king had got his vineyard, whom did 
he meet there ? 

What did Elijah say to Ahab ? 

What answer did the king make ? 

What did Elijah prophesy ? 

What of Jezebel ? 

Did the king humble liimself ? 

Was the prophecy fultilled ? 



ELIJAH, THE PKOPHET. 95 

What son reigned after Ahab's death ? 

What did Elijah say to him when he sent to 
inquire of Baal ? 

Was the king angry ? 

What became of the men whom he sent to cap- 
ture Elijah ? 

Was the great prophet's life a happy one ? 

What made it sorrowful ? 

When he was about to be called home, who told 
Elisha ? 

What answer did he make ? 

W^hen they reached the river Jordan, what did 
Elijah do? 

What did he ask Elisha ? 

What did Elisha answer ? 

What now appeared ? 

How many others are spoken of in the Book 
who did not taste death ? 

When Elisha saw his master going up, what did 
he say ? 

When he returned to the river Jordan, what did 
he do? 

What did the prophets who were watching say ? 



96 



TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE XVI. 



ELISHA. 



Elisha, the prophet upon whom the spirit of 
Elijah had fallen, was met at Jericho by ^^the 
sons of the prophets/^ who had seen the waters 
of Jordan divided. They bowed themselves to 
the ground before him, and urged him to let fifty 
men go and search for his master. He said, — 

^^Ye shall not send.'^ 

But still they urged, until he said, " Send." 
After three days' diligent search, they knew that 
Elisha was right. Elijah would be seen on earth 
no more. 

Elisha commenced his work at Jericho, where 
he healed the waters by casting salt into the 
spring. He said the Lord had '- healed these 
waters ; there shall not be from thence any more 
death or barren land.'' The people of Israel had 
become so wicked that even the little children 



ELISHA. 97 

came out of the city and mocked Elisha as he 
went to Bethel. They said, '^ Go up, thou bald 
head ; '' and " bears came out of the wood and tare 
forty and two of them.'^ 

The kings of Israel and Judah came to Elisha 
to '' inquire of the Lord '' when they went to 
war with the king of Moab. The king of Judah 
worshipped the true God, and Elisha told him 
that they should make the valley full of ditches ; 
and though there should be no wind or rain, they 
should be filled with water. When the sun shone 
upon the water the Moabites thought that it was 
blood. They supposed that the kings were fight- 
ing each other, and cried, ^^Moab, to the spoil.'' 
They rushed forward, and were defeated with 
great slaughter. 

A widow of one of the sons of the prophets 
came to Elisha and told him that her husbp^nd 
was dead, and that his creditor would take his 
two sons for bondmen. Her husband had been a 
true follower of the Lord, but had died in great 
poverty. Elisha asked the woman what she had 
in the house. She said, " Not anything, save a pot 



98 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

of oil.'^ He bade her borrow of all her neighbors 
empty vessels ^^not a few.*' When she had done 
this, she should shut the door^ and she and her 
sons should pour into these vessels till all were 
full. 

She did this^ and the oil did not fail until 
the last vessel was filled. Then she went and told 
the prophet^ and he said to her^ — 

" Goj sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live 
thou and thy children of the rest." 

Though wicked men and even little children 
hated the good prophet, many loved and honored 
him. A " great woman," at Shunem, where 
Elisha often went, asked him '' to eat bread." 
And every time he passed by her house, he rested 
there. The good woman and her husband were 
greatly pleased, and built '^ a little chamber," with 
'' a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick," 
expressly for him. The good prophet felt all this 
kindly care, and asked the woman what he should 
do for her. Should he speak for her to the king 
or to the captain of the host ? But the kind, con- 
tented woman only said, — 



ELISHA. 99 

'' I dwell among mine own people.'' Still she 
was far happier when the Lord sent her a little son. 

One day this child went out among the reapers. 
He cried to his father, — 

" My head, my head.'' And he was carried to 
his mother. She held him until noon, when he 
died. 

The mother's first thought was of '^ the man 
of God." She laid the dead child upon his bed, 
and called a servant, and went at once to Carmel, 
where the prophet was. He saw her coming, and 
said to his servant, Gehazi, — 

" Run now ... to meet her, and say unto 
her. Is it well with thee ? Is it well with thy 
husband ? Is it well with the child ? " And 
she answered, " It is well." 

How great must have been her faith and trust 
in God ! Yet when she came to the prophet, so 
great was her agony that she caught him by the 
feet. When the prophet heard her sad story, he 
sent Gehazi to lay his staff upon the face of 
the child. He himself followed with the mother, 
and the servant told him, — 



100 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

" The child is not awaked.'' 

Then Elisha went in, and alone with God he 
prayed and labored to restore the child. How 
great Avas the joy of the mother when she heard 
him say to Gehazi, '' Call this Shunammite.'' For 
the life of the child had come back in answer 
to Elisha' s prayer ; and he said to the woman, 
"Take up thy son." 

Truly the spirit of Elijah had fallen on Elisha, 
for he did the same miracles which his master had 
done. It was the spirit of God who gave him 
this power. He, the Creator of all things, and the 
Giver of life, can do whatever He will. 

When Elisha was at Gilgal, and was eating 
with " the sons of the prophets " of pottage which 
had been prepared, one had carelessly shred the 
poisonous wild gourd into the pottage. As they 
were eating, they cried out, — 

"0 thou man of God, there is death in the 
pot.''. 

Elisha called for a handful of meal, and cast it 
into the pot, and it was harmless. 

There was a dearth in the land, yet the true 



ELISHA. 101 

worshippers gave to the Lord the ^^ firstfruits '' as 
He had commanded. A man brought to Elisha 
" twenty loaves of barley and full ears of corn in 
the husk.'^ These were of the '' firstfruits ; ^' and 
Elisha said to his servant, '' Give unto the people 
that they may eat." 

'' What, should I set this before a hundred 
men ? '^ said his servant. 

"Give the people, that they may eat," Elisha 
repeated ; " for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat 
and shall leave thereof." All this came to pass, 
for the word of the Lord never fails. 

JSTaaman was a great man in Syria, a captain of 
the host, and the king esteemed him greatly. But 
he was a leper. Naaman's wife had a little maid 
who had been taken captive and brought to Syria, 
and she said, — 

" Would God my lord were with the prophet 
who is in Samaria ! for he would recover him of 
his leprosy." 

When this saying of the Israelitish maid came 
to the king's ears, he said, — 

'' Go to, go, and I will send a letter to the king 



ELISHA. 103 

some great thing, wonldst thou not have doiie it ? 
how much rather then, when he saith unto thee, 
Wash, and be clean ? '' 

'' Then he went down and dipped himself seven 
times in Jordan ; . . . and his flesh came again 
like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was 
clean.'' 

]N"ow he goes back to Elisha with all his com- 
pany and says, " E"ow I know that there is no God 
in all the earth but in Israel," and he begged him 
to take ^^a blessing of thy servant/' Elisha re- 
fused, though he urged him strongly. It was re- 
ward enough for him that his God was honored. 

The "sons of the prophets'^ were building a 
house ; and one of them dropped an axe, which he 
had borrowed, into the river Jordan. 

He said, " Alas, master ! " and Elisha said, — 

" Where fell it ? " And he showed him the 
place. Then Elisha cut a stick and cast it into 
the river, and the iron rose, and " he put out his 
hand, and took it.'' God made the laws which 
govern nature, and He can set them aside when 
He wills. 



104 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

The king of Syria made war against Israel. 
And all his plans were told to the king of Israel 
by Elisha the prophet. The king of Syria was 
greatly troubled. He thought that surely he had 
a traitor in his camp. And he asked his servants, 
'- AVhieli of us is for the king of Israel ? '' One 
of them answered. — 

•''Xone, my lord, king : but Elisha, the prophet, 
telleth the king of Israel the words that thou 
speakest in thy bedchamber.'*' 

The king of Syria thought if he could capture 
Elisha all would be well. He was in Dothan : and 
when his servant rose early in the morning, he 
found the city was surrounded by a great host. 
He said, — 

^^ Alas, my master ! How shall we do ? '* Elisha 
said, — 

^^Eear not: for they that be with us are more 
than they that be with them ; '' and he prayed 
that the yoimg man's eyes might be opened. 
Then the 3'oung man saw that ^^ the mountain 
was full of horses and chariots of lire round about 
Elisha." 



ELISHA. 105 

Again he prayed that the people might be smit- 
ten with blindness. The prayer was heard^ and 
he led the Syrian army into the midst of Samaria. 
Their '^ blindness " was seeing falsely. 

ISTow he prayed that their eyes might be opened, 
and they found themselves entrapped. 

'^ My father, shall I smite them ? '' said the king 
of Israel. But Elisha said, — 

" Thou shalt not smite them/' and he prepared 
great provision for them ; and when they had 
eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they 
went to their master. Was not that a beautiful 
way to treat an enemy ? IN'o wonder that '' the 
bands of Syria came no more into the land of 
Israel.'' 

The king of Israel was not a true worshipper of 
God; and when Ben-hadad, king of Syria, after 
this attacked Samaria, the people were in great 
distress. The king said he would take off Elisha's 
head, for he knew that this trouble was from the 
Lord. Elisha told the messenger that on the 
morrow there should be great plenty in Samaria. 
And it came to pass. 



106 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

" The Lord made the host of the Syrians to 
hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, — 
the noise of a great host/^ Then " they arose and 
fled in the twilight/' and left all, and ^' fled for 
their life." So all their riches fell into the hands 
of the Israelites, without their striking a blow. 

All nations honored Elisha. He was in Damas- 
cus, and Hazael, the servant of Ben-hadad the 
king, who was sick, came to him to inquire if his 
master should recover. 

The prophet Avept when he saw this man, and 
told his future faithfully, how that he should 
return home, and murder the king of Syria, and 
become king in his stead, and should cruelly 
harass the children of Israel. All this God had 
revealed to Elisha. Hazael said, '^ Is thy servant 
a dog, that he should do this great thing ? '' But 
it all came to pass as the prophet had foretold. 

Afterward he sent one of the '' children of the 
prophets '^ to anoint Jehu as king of Israel. King 
Jehu destroyed the false gods in Israel, and ex- 
ecuted the sentence God had pronounced against 
Jezebel. 



ELISHA. 107 

At last, after a long life filled with, great deeds 
which the Spirit gave him power to do, Elisha fell 
sick and died. The king of Israel cried over him, 
as he cried when Elijah was called home, — 

"• my father, my father ! the chariot of Israel, 
and the horsemen thereof.'' 

It seems strange to us when reading these 
stories in the Book, that the people could turn 
away from Grod who did such mighty works for 
them, to worship false gods, the work of men's 
hands. But men do so now, with the Bible in 
their hands. TIipaj had only the prophets to 
teach them the way of the Lord. 



QUESTIONS. 

Who met Elisha at Jericho ? 
What did they insist on doing ? 
Did they find Elijah ? 

What miracle did Elisha perform at elericho ? 
What became of the children who mocked 
Elisha ? 



108 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

What liappened when the kings of Judah and 
Israel were fighting with the king of Moab ? 

What miracle did he do for the distressed 
widow ? 

What did the Avoman of Shiinem do for the 
prophet ? 

What great trouble came to her? 

To whom did she go ? 

Did Elisha restore the child ? 

Who gave him this power ? 

What did he do to cure the poisoned pottage ? 

How many men did he feed with twenty barley 
loaves and ears of corn ? 

Who told ISTaaman of Elisha ? 

What did the king of Syria do ? 

What present did he send ? 

How did the king of Israel feel when he read 
the letter which the king of Syria sent ? 

Could leprosy be cured ? 

What word did Elisha send to the king ? 

What did he bid ISTaaman do ? 

Was Naaman pleased ? 

Why was he so angry ? 



ELISHA. 109 

Did he obey at last ? 

What did he wish to do when he saw he was 
healed ? 

What did Elisha do for the sons of the prophets 
who were building a house ? 

When the king of Syria warred against Israel, 
who told the king all his plans ? 

What did the king of Syria think ? 

Where was Elisha when the king of Syria sur- 
rounded him ? 

What did his servant say ? 

For what did Elisha pray ? 

What did the young man see ? 

For what now did Elisha pray ? 

Where did he lead the Syrian army ? 

When their eyes were opened, did they see their 
danger ? 

What did the king of Israel wish to do ? 

Did Elisha permit this ? 

What did he do ? 

Was this a good way to treat an enemy ? 

When Ben-hadad invaded Israel after this, what 
did Elisha tell the king ? 



110 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Did it come to pass ? 
What became of all the invader's riches ? 
What did Elisha tell Hazael of Damascus ? 
Whom did he anoint king of Israel ? 
Who executed the sentence against Jezebel ? 
What did the king of Israel do when Elisha 
died? 



ATHALIAH. Ill 



CHAPTEE XVII. 
ATHALIAH. 

The story of this wicked woman is a very sad 
one. She was a worshipper of Baal, a daughter 
of Omri, and granddaughter of Ahab, kings of 
Israel. She had a sad inheritance of evil ; for both 
these kings were worshippers of false gods, and 
chose evil rather than good. In this world people 
always become like the one they love. One who 
loves and worships God, grows to be pure and just 
and loving as He is. But those who worshipped 
Baal and the other false gods, grew wicked and 
vile. 

Athaliah loved power more than she loved her 
children or grandchildren ; and when she saw that 
her son Ahaziah, who was king, was dead, she 
resolved to be queen. 

She "destroyed all the seed royal.'' But Je- 
hosheba, the king's sister, stole one little babe 



112 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

from among the king's sons^ and hid him with his 
nurse in the bed-chamber. She was the wife of 
the priest, and kept him safe hidden in the house 
of God. This was a safe place ; for the wicked 
queen usurper was a worshipj^er of Baal, and 
did not come to the temple. 

When the child was in his seventh 3"ear, the 
priest brought the ^-rulers over hundreds, with the 
captains and the guard, . . . and made a cove- 
nant with them,*^ and showed them the king's son. 
They placed the troops so that the child should 
be safely guarded, and brought him to the temple, 
where he was crowned king of Israel. 

The people clapped their hands and shouted, 
" God save the king.'' Athaliah heard the tumult, 
and came to the people in the temple. 

She thought doubtless that she could quiet them 
by a vrord. 

What she saw was this : ^- The king stood by 
a pillar as the manner was, and the princes and 
trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the 
land rejoiced and blew with trumpets.'' 

^^ Athaliah rent her clothes and cried^ Treason, 



ATHALIAH. . 113 

treason/' But the false queen was driven from 
the house of the Lord. She might not die there. 
" She went by the way which the horses came 
into the king's house, and there she was slain." 



QUESTIONS. 

Whose daughter was she ? 

What did she worship ? 

What sad inheritance had she ? 

What do people become like ? 

What did Athaliah love more than all else ? 

What did she do when the king, her son, died ? 

Was any one saved ? 

Who saved the child ? 

Where did she keep him ? 

How old was he when he was crowned king ? 

Were the people glad ? 

What did Athaliah cry ? 

What became of her ? 



114 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
ESTHEB, THE BEAUTIFUL QUEER 

King Ahasuerus was a great king of Persia, 
reigning over ^'a hundred and twentj-seven prov- 
inces, '' from India to Ethiopia. At a royal feast, 
Vashti, his queen, had refused to come before him 
as he commanded, and he had set her aside from 
being queen. He chose in her place Esther, a 
beautiful maiden who was among the captives 
taken from Israel. She lived with Mordecai, 
her uncle ; and he charged her not to show who 
were her kindred or people when she went to the 
palace. 

Esther's beauty, though it won her so high a 
place, seems to have been one of her smallest 
attractions. She was loving, brave, and true to 
her people, even at the peril of her life ; and this 
is why she is remembered. 

Haman, a proud, haughty favorite of the king. 



ESTHER, THE BEAUTIFUL QUEEN. 115 

was so filled with pride and self-conceit that, be- 
cause one man, Mordecai, failed to bow and do him 
reverence, he determined to have a great revenge. 
Mordecai was a Jew ; and Haman resolved not only 
to take his life, but the lives of all his people. 
For the Jews and Ham an' s people, the children 
of Agag, were hereditary enemies. He told the 
king that the Jews were a troublesome people 
scattered throughout the kingdom, who would not 
keep the laws. If the king would give the com- 
mand that they should be destroyed, he would pay 
ten thousand talents of silver to those who had 
charge of the business. 

The king took the ring off his hand and gave 
it to Haman. He said, — 

" The silver is given to thee, the people also, to 
do with them as seemeth good to thee. '' Letters 
were sent to all parts of the kingdom that all the 
Jews, young and old, women and children, should 
be destroyed in one day. Then the king and Ha- 
man sat down to eat and drink, but there was great 
sorrow throughout the kingdom. Mordecai sent 
the sad news to Queen Esther ; and she told him 



116 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

that she had not seen the king in thirty days, and 
it was death to go into his presence, unless one 
was called. 

Mordecai returned answer, that help would 
come from some source, though they might per- 
ish ; and said, ^' Who knoweth whether thou art 
come to the kingdom for such a time as this ? " 

Then Esther sent word to her uncle to gather 
all the Jews together, and fast three days and 
nights. She said, — 

^^ I also and my maidens will fast likewise ; 
so will I go unto the king, which is not accord- 
ing to the law ; and if I perish, I perish.'' 

When the king saw the beautiful queen in her 
royal robes, standing in the inner court, he held 
out to her the golden sceptre, and she was safe. 
He asked what she would have. It should be 
granted her to the half of his kingdom. 

She asked the king that he and Haman might 
come to the banquet Avhich she had prepared. 
Haman was greatly elated that he alone had 
been invited to the banquet with the king. 
Passing through the gate, he saw Mordecai, who 



• 



ESTHER, THE BEAUTIFUL QUEEK. 117 

did not bow down to him, and was so enraged, 
that after he had told his wife of the great 
honors the king had given him, he built a gal- 
lows fifty cubits high, to hang Mordecai upon. 

That night the king could not sleep, and he 
called for the ^^ book of records." As his servants 
read to him, they found that Mordecai had once 
saved the king's life. He asked what honor 
had been given him. They answered that nothing 
had been done for him. 

His servants told him that Haman was standing 
in the court. 

^' Let him come in,'' the king said. 

^^ What shall be done unto the man whom the 
king delighteth to honor ? " said the king. 

'^ That is I," thought Haman. So he said that 
the man should be clothed in the king's garments, 
that he should wear the crown royal, and ride 
upon the king's horse. Then the king's ^^ most 
noble prince" should proclaim before him, ^^Thus 
shall it be done imto the man whom the king 
delighteth to honor ! " 

^^Do even so to Mordecai," was the king's com-* 



118 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

mand. And Haman obeyed. Througli all the city 
streets he went, before the man whom he hated 
so, saying, — 

" Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the 
king delighteth to honor.'^ Then he went to his 
house mourning. 

At the banquet, on the second day, the queen 
pleaded for her life and the lives of her people. 

" We are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, 
to be slain, and to perish,'' she said. The king 
said, — 

^^Who is he, and where is he, that durst pre- 
sume in his heart to do so ? '' And the queen 
answ^ered, — 

" The adversary and enemy is this wicked Ha- 
man.'' 

The haughty favorite cowered in fear before 
the king and queen, as well he might. Harbonah, 
one of the king's servants, said to him, — 

" Behold also the gallows, fifty cubits high, 
which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had 
spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of 
' Haman." The king said, '' Hang him thereon." 



ESTHER, THE BEAITTrFUL QtJEEK. 119 

So the proud, revengeful Haman died on the 
very gallows which he had built for the man 
who refused to bow down to him. And letters 
were sent to all parts of the kingdom, in the 
king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, 
that the Jews, wherever attacked, should ^^ stand 
for their lives," and destroy their enemies. 

■ Haman' s sons were slain, and thus the evil 
which he had planned against the servants of 
the true God came back upon him and those 
who planned with him. 

Esther, the beautiful queen, by her truth and 
bravery, not only saved her own life, but the 
lives of many thousands of her people. 



QUESTIONS. 

Who chose Esther for queen ? 

Who was Esther ? 

With whom did she live ? 

Was beauty her greatest charm ? 

What caused her to be remembered ? 



120 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

What made Haman so angry ? 

What revenge did he purpose to have ? 

Did he secure the edict from the king ? 

What was the sentence ? 

What did Queen Esther do ? 

Was the king pleased ? 

What did Haman do when he was invited to 
the feast ? 

What did the king find in the book of records 
that Mordecai had done ? 

What did he ask Haman ? 

Whom did Haman think the king delighted to 
honor ? 

What did the king tell Haman to do ? 

At the banquet, for what did Esther plead ? 

What question did the king ask ? 

How did Haman feel when he heard her 
words ? 

What sentence did the king pronounce upon 
Haman ? 

Were her people spared by the queen's bravery ? 



THE STKANGE BATTLE. 121 



CHAPTER XIX. 
THE STRANGE BATTLE. 

A GtREAT battle was fought and a great vic- 
tory was won, yet there was no flowing blood, 
nor clash of arms. The combatants were the 
Syrian host, under Sennacherib, and the invisible 
"angel of the Lord/' 

It was during the reign of good King Hezekiah, 
who had destroyed the false gods that the people 
worshipped, and restored the worship of the one 
. true God. 

The captain of the Assyrian host taunted the 
people of Jerusalem, whom they were besieging, 
with this. He told them that it was vain for 
them to say, "We trust in the Lord our God.'' 
Had not King Hezekiah destroyed the high places 
and made the people worship in Jerusalem ? Had 
any of the gods of the nations which the Syrians 
fought against helped them ? 



122 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

The captain begged him to speak to them in the 
Assyrian language, for they understood it ; and 
not in the Hebrew tongue. They feared to have 
the people on the walls hear his words. 

But Eabshakeh went on. He told them not to 
trust in the Lord, nor in the king. If they would 
make him a present and come out to him, he would 
take them to his own fruitful land. But the 
people ^^ answered him not a word.^' 

Hezekiah the king sent for the prophet Isaiah, 
who was then living, to pray for them. The 
prophet sent this word to the king, — 

^^ Thus saith the Lord. Be not afraid of the 
words which thou hast heard, with which the 
servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed 
me. He shall return unto his own land ; and I will 
cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.'' 

Hezekiah took this letter, and spread it before 
the Lord, and prayed earnestly. That very night 
the '' strange battle '' was fought. 

" The angel of the Lord went out, and smote in 
the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore 
and five thousand.'' 



THE STRANGE BATTLE. 128 

And the king of Assyria went back to his own 
country. He still worshipped false gods ; and 
while he was worshipping in the temple of Nis- 
roch, his god, his own sons slew him. 



QUESTIONS. 

Who led the Syrian host ? 

Who was king of Israel ? 

Was he a good man ? 

What did the captain of the Assyrian host say 
to the people ? 

Why did the captain of the besieged -city beg 
him to speak in his own language ? 

Did he listen to the request ? 

What did the prophet Isaiah tell the king ? 

What did King Hezekiah do ? 

Who smote the Assyrians ? 

How many were slain ? 

What became of the king of Assyria ? 



124 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE XX. 
THE STOBY OF DANIEL, 

Since the world was made, there has been noth- 
ing grander known than a pure, noble, upright 
character. The man who has built it takes it 
with him to his eternal home, and also leaves it 
for a lesson of beauty to those who come after him. 

Daniel, one of the princes of the royal line of 
Judah, built such a character nearl}' three thou- 
sand years ago, and it is studied all over the 
world to-day. He was carried captive, with 
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and many noble pris- 
oners, to Babylon, by King Nebuchadnezzar, when 
a little more than twelve years of age. 

A captive boy in a strange land, it did not look 
probable that through three dynasties he should 
be one of the chief rulers of that land, and that he 
should live to be more than ninety years old. But 
he began right, and God was with him. 



THE STOKY OF DANIEL. 125 

The king chose several of the brightest and fair- 
est of the royal captives " to stand in the king's 
palace/' and to be taught the tongue and the 
learning of the Chaldeans. These were to be fed 
from the king's table, and to have a daily allow- 
ance of wine such as he drank. Among these were 
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 

" God had brought Daniel into favor and tender 
love with the prince '' who cared for them, and 
when he asked him that they might have pulse 
to eat and water to drink, instead of defiling them- 
selves with king's meat and wine, he was in great 
trouble. He feared that they would not thrive 
on this meagre diet, and said, " Then shall ye make 
me endanger my head to the king." But Daniel 
said to Melzar, the caretaker, — 

i' Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days." 
Then he should decide. 

At the end of ten days the four who ate pulse 
and drank water were examined by the king. 
" He found them ten times better than all the 
magicians and astrologers- that were in all his 
realm," in ^^all matters of wisdom and under- 



126 TRUE STOIirES FKOM THE BOOK. 

standing.'' They had sound bodies and clear 
heads. They obeyed God, and He taught them. 

The king had a strange dream, which troubled 
him so that when he asked his wise men to tell 
him what it was — for it had gone from him — 
and they failed, he ordered all the wise men to 
be slain. 

When they came to Daniel, he told them that 
he Avould give the interpretation, if the king would 
give him time. He called his three friends, and 
they prayed that God would reveal the secret to 
them. Their prayer was heard, and God revealed 
all to Daniel. •• Then Daniel blessed the God of 
heaven.*' 

He went to the king and told him that there 
was a God in heaven who alone could reveal the 
secret. And he told him the dream, which was 
a prophecy, and the interpretation. The king 
said, '^ Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of 
gods, and a Lord of kings." 

He gave Daniel great gifts, and made him ruler 
over all the province of Babylon, and his com- 
panions were given places of trust. 



THE STORY OF DANIEL. 127 

Yet the king was not a true worshipper. As 
the years went by, the Chaldean princes were 
jealous of the Jews, — Mishael, Hananiah, and 
Azariah, whom the king had named Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego. He had given them the 
offices which they thought belonged to them. 
They meant to have revenge. 

So in the absence of Daniel, they persuaded the 
king to make a great image of gold, and set it up 
in the plain of Dura. He called together all his 
princes, governors, captains, judges, treasurers, 
and counsellors, and a herald cried aloud that 
when they heard the sound of all kinds of instru- 
ments of music, all the people should fall down 
and worship. If any did not obey, they should 
be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And at the 
sound of the music all the people fell down and 
worshipped the image, except the three Jews, 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

Their enemies in triumph went to the king, and 
told him that these men did not bow down to the 
image. The king was very angry, and sent for 
these men. He charged them that they should 



128 TRUE STORIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

bow clown and worship the image when the music 
sounded, or they should be cast into ^^a burning 
fiery furnace ; " and, he said, " Who is that God 
who shall deliver you out of my hands ? '' The 
men answered him calmly, — 

" ISTebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to an- 
swer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God 
whom we serve is able to deliver us out of the 
burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out 
of thine hand, king." 

This so enraged the king that he commanded 
that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than 
it was wont to be heated. Then the most mighty 
men of his army should bind these three men, and 
cast them into the furnace. This was done, and 
so fierce was the heat that the mighty men who 
bound them were all slain. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell down 
bound into the midst of the furnace, but the king 
rose in haste. 

^^Did we not cast three men bound into the 
fire ? " he said. 

" True, king," the people said. 



THE STOliY OF DANIEL. 129 

'' Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst 
of the fire, and they have no hurt/' said the terri- 
fied king ; '^ and the form of the fourth is like the 
Son of God.'' 

He went near the mouth of the furnace and 
called, " Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye ser- 
vants of the most high God, come forth." And 
they came out from the fire, safe and unharmed. 
There was not even the smell of fire upon their 
garments. 

All the people saw the wonderful sight ; and the 
king said, " Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Me- 
shach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, 
and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and 
have changed the king's word, and yielded their 
bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any 
god, but their own God." 

He also made a decree that if any one should 
speak against this God he should be destroyed, 
"because there is no other God who delivers after 
this sort." And these three true men were again 
promoted in the province of Babylon. 

But King Nebuchadnezzar was very slow to 



130 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

learn, though he saw the great power of the true 
God. He had another prophetic dream, and sent 
for Daniel. Daniel was greatly troubled. He 
said, — 

" My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, 
and the interpretation to thine enemies.'' 

The dream was of a beautiful wide-spreading 
tree. The king saw " a watcher and a holy one 
coming down from heaven.'' He cried, " Hew 
down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off 
his leaves, and scatter his fruit." But the stump 
of the tree should remain until seven times passed 
over it. 

Daniel told the king that the tree was himself. 
He had grown strong, and his dominion reached to 
the ends of the earth. Yet he should be driven 
from among men, and should eat grass as the 
oxen, until seven years should pass over him ; 
till he learned that ^^the Most High ruleth in 
the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom- 
soever he will." 

Then Daniel besought the king to break off his 
sins, and it might be the evil would be put off. 



THE STORY OF DANIEL. 131 

Did the king heed DaniePs words ? Pride and self- 
conceit seem to have been his great weaknesses. 

A year later as he was walking in the palace of 
Babylon he said, '' Is not this great Babylon, that 
I have built for the house of the kingdom by the 
might of my power, and for the honor of my 
majesty ? " All around him lay the beautiful 
city, one of the fairest the world ever saw, and 
his heart was filled with pride and exultation. 

At that very moment a voice fell from heaven, — 

" ]^rebuchadnezzar, . . . the kingdom is de- 
parted from thee." 

The king's reason left him, and he was driven 
out among the beasts of the field, as he had seen 
in his dream. Daniel ruled the kingdom wisely 
the seven years of the king's exile. Then his 
reason was restored, and all his treasures and hon- 
ors were his again. Better than all, he " blessed 
the Most High, and praised and honored him 
that liveth forever.'' 

At the death of King Nebuchadnezzar, his son, 
Belshazzar, the last of the Chaldean kings, reigned 
in his stead. He chose young men for his coun- 



132 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

sellers, and Daniel was forgotten. He had no 
fear of God, and even took the holy vessels taken 
from Jerusalem, which had been dedicated to His 
service, for his impious feasts. 

At one of these drunken orgies, a hand ap- 
peared on the wall, and wrote Avords which no 
man could understand. The terrified king called 
in his wise men and astrologers, but none could 
read the words. Then he said that the man who 
read it should be clothed in scarlet, and have a 
chain of gold about his neck, and should be third 
ruler in the kingdom. All in vain, and the king 
was in despair. 

The queen, hearing of the strange occurrence, 
came to the banquet house, and told him of 
Daniel, the great and wise man in whom was 
^^the spirit of the holy gods." His father had 
trusted and honored him greatly. 

Daniel was immediately sent for ; and the king 
told him what honors awaited him if he could 
read the writing upon the wall. 

^^Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy 
rewards to another,'' said Daniel to the king; 










The Handwrhing on the Walt, 



THE STORY OF DANIEL. 133 

"yet I will read the writing unto the king, and 
make known the interpretation.'^ He told the 
king of the judgments God had sent on his father 
and said, — 

"And thou his son, Belshazzar, hast not 
humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all 
this.'' 

He told him that he had lifted up himself 
against the God of heaven, and defiled the holy 
vessels of His house by drinking wine in them, 
and " praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, 
iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor 
know ; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, 
and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glori- 
fied." "And this is the writing that was written, 
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." This signified 
that he was weighed in the balances and found 
wanting, that God had numbered his kingdom, 
and finished it. That very night the terrible sen- 
tence came true. The king was slain, and Darius 
the Median took the kingdom. 

This Median king had the wisdom to set Daniel 
over all the rulers of his realm, " because an excel- 



134 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

lent spirit was in him."' This preferment aroused 
the jealousy of the other rulers, and they plotted 
to destroy him. But he was so just and true in 
all his doings, that they said, — 

^' AYe shall not find any occasion against this 
Daniel, except we find it against him concerning 
the law of his God.'' 

They went to the king and said, ^^ King Darius, 
live for ever." They told him that all the princes 
and people wished him to make a decree, that 
whoever should ask any petition of any god or 
man for thirty days, except the king, should be 
cast into the den of lions. This sounded loyal and 
would please the people. So without suspecting 
evil. King Darius made the decree. 

It was the custom of Daniel to kneel in his 
house •• with his windows open toward Jerusalem '' 
three times every day. and pray and give thanks 
unto God. He knew of the decree of the king ; 
but when his enemies came to his house, they 
found him •• praying and making supplications 
unto his God.*' 

They went at once to King Darius, and told him 






THE STORY OF DANIEL. 135 

that Daniel had not regarded his decree, '' but mak- 
eth his petition three times a day.^' Then the king 
saw what he had done, and "was sore displeased 
with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver 
him, and labored till the going down of the sun." 
All in vain, for the decrees of the Medes and 
Persians could not be changed. 

Then Darius gave command that Daniel should 
be cast into the den of lions. But he said to 
him, — 

" Thy God^ whom thou servest continually, he 
will deliver thee.'' 

When Daniel had been cast into the lions' den, 
a stone was placed upon its mouth, and the king 
sealed it with his own signet. The enemies of 
Daniel thought now, surely, their triumph was 
sure. But the king passed the night fasting in 
his palace. He Avould not permit instruments of 
music to be brought before him ; but as the weary 
hours went by, he watched and waited for the 
dawn. 

" Very early in the morning " he went to the 
den of lions, and cried " with a lamentable voice," 



136 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

at the mouth of the den : " Daniel, Daniel, ser- 
vant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou 
servest continually, able to deliver thee from the 
lions ? " 

And from the deep recesses came a voice, clear 
and strong, — 

^' king, live for ever. My God hath sent his 
angel, who hath shut the lions' mouths, that they 
have not hurt me : forasmuch as before him inno- 
cency was found in me; and before thee, king, 
have I done no hurt.'' 

Who can describe the king's joy as he heard 
these words. Pagan as he was, he had seen the 
mighty works of God, and believed on Him. Xow 
his favorite prince had been delivered by miracu- 
lous power. 

He commanded that Daniel should be taken up 
out of the den, and ^^ no manner of hurt was found 
on him, because he believed in his God." 

Now the king gave command that Daniel's ac- 
cusers and their families should be cast into the 
lions' den, and they were torn in pieces before 
they came to the bottom of the den. The wild 



1 



THE STORY OF DANIEL. 137 

beasts always obey the voice of their Creator. 
Man alone has power to choose, or to refuse obe- 
dience to Him. 

Daniel retained his office through the reign of 
Darius, and for some years after Cyrus. the Persian 
came to the throne. Though carried away from 
Jerusalem in his early boyhood, throughout his 
long life he loved her, and prayed for her restora- 
tion. And his prayer was heard ; for, before he 
died, he saw Ezra, with more than forty thou- 
sand of his people, go forth at the command of 
King Cyrus, to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 

The king gave into their charge also five thou- 
sand and four hundred vessels of gold and silver, 
holy vessels which had been dedicated to God for 
His temple, which King ISTebuchadnezzar had car- 
ried away to Babylon. 

Daniel had wonderful visions, which only God 
could give him. In the first year of King Bel- 
shazzar, he dreamed a strange dream, which was 
fulfilled word for word in the history of the na- 
tions. Again, in the third year of this king, he 
had a vision. He was in a deep sleep, and the 



138 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

angel Gabriel touched him, and he sat upright. 
Then a wonderful revelation was given him. He 
was so overcome that he fainted, and was sick 
^^ certain days/'' afterwards he '^'rose up and did 
the king's business.'' 

In the first year of King Darius, Daniel prayed 
earnestly for his people, '^ with fasting, and sack- 
cloth, and ashes." 

His prayer was, — 

'^ Lord, hear ; Lord, forgive ; Lord, 
hearken and do; defer not for thine own sake, 
my God : for thy city and thy people are called 
by thy name." 

The angel Gabriel again appeared to him, and 
told him of the future coming of Messiah, the 
Saviour of the world. 

In the third year of King Cyrus he had another 
vision. 

After long weeks of fasting, he saw '' a certain 
man, clothed in linen, whose loins were girded 
with fine gold of Uphaz. His body also was like 
the beryl, and his face as the appearance of light- 
ning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms 



THE STORY OF DANIEL. 139 

and his feet like in color to polished brass, and 
the voice of his words like the voice of a multi- 
tude/' The men who were with him did not see 
the vision, but '^ a great quaking fell upon them, 
so that they fled to hide themselves." 

Prostrate upon the ground, and with no strength, 
a hand touched Daniel and lifted him up. Then 
the angel said to him, — 

" Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand 
the words that I speak to thee.'' He told him to 
" fear not," for from the first God had heard 
his prayer. Then he told him of the purpose of 
God concerning His people, and many things of the 
nations about him. 

He is known as a prophet and revelator, writer 
of one of the most wonderful and mysterious 
books of the Bible. These are his words, " And 
they that be wise shall shine as the brightness 
of the firmament ; and they that turn many to 
righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." 



140 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

QUESTIONS. 

Who was Daniel ? 

AVhere was he carried captive ? 

What did the king decide to do with some of 
the brightest captives ? 

Why did Daniel and his three friends request 
that they might have pulse to eat and water to 
drink, instead of the king's meat and wine ? 

Why did Melzar fear to grant their request ? 

Did he at last ? 

How did they appear at the end of ten days ? 

Who told the king the dream he had forgotten ? 

What did the king do for Daniel ? 

In his absence, what plot was made against his 
three friends ? 

Did they bow down to the golden image ? 

Was the king angry ? 

What command did he give ? 

What did the king see when the men had been 
cast into the fiery furnace ? 

Did the fire harm them ? 

What did the king say ? 



THE STORY OF DAKIEL. 141 

What became of the men who were so true to God? 

Did Daniel tell the king the interpretation of 
his second dream ? 

Did it come to pass ? 

Was his reason restored ? 

After the king's death, who reigned ? 

Did he remember Daniel ? 

What great sin did he commit at one of his 
drunken feasts ? 

What appeared upon the wall ? 

Could the wise men read the words ? 

Who told the king about Daniel ? 

Did he read the words ? 

What did they say ? 

When was the city taken and the king slain ? 

Who took the kingdom ? 

What did Darius do for Daniel ? 

Were his other rulers pleased ? 

What did they persuade the king to decree ? 

Did these men know DanieFs daily custom ? 

Did he cease praying to God because of the decree? 

How did Darius feel when the case was re- 
ported to him ? 



142 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Could the decree be changed ? 

What did Darius say to Daniel when he gave 
the command for him to be cast into the den of 
lions ? 

How did he spend the night ? 

What did he do early in the morning ? 

What question did he ask ? 

Who answered him ? { 

Was the king glad ? 

To whom did Daniel give the glory ? 

What did the king command should be done to 
the accusers of Daniel ? 

Did the lions spare them ? 

What always obeys the voice of the Creator ? 

Who alone has power to refuse obedience ? 

What king reigned after Darius ? 

Did Daniel forget Jerusalem ? 

Were his prayers for her heard ? 

What did he see before he died ? 

Who gave to Daniel his wonderful visions ? 

How is he known ? 

What beautiful words did he write near the 
close of his book ? 



THE TEMPLE REBUILT. 143 



CHAPTER XXL 
THE TEMPLE REBUILT. 

The true worshippers of God love his temple^ 
the house where he meets with them in holy com- 
munion^ next to Himself. 

The captive Jews mourned over the destruc- 
tion of the beautiful temple which King Solomon 
had builtj even more than that of their loved 
homes. Daniel had been cast into the den of 
lions because he would pray with his windows 
open toward Jerusalem. Prayer was heard, and 
God moved the heart of King Cyrus to send 
the Jews back to their own country. He told 
them to build again the temple of God, and gave 
to them, to place in it, all the holy vessels of 
gold and silver which King Nebuchadnezzar had 
brought to Babylon. 

When the people of God were once more in 
their own land, they were yet in fear of thes 



144 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

hostile nations around them, and hastened to set 
up the altar, and to offer sacrifices. Enemies 
often do us great service by driving us to a 
place of safety. 

It was no easy task to build again the temple. 
False friends came and wished to join in the 
work^ and bitter enemies made complaints against 
them to the king. 

But the foundations were laid amid the sound- 
ing of trumpets and cymbals, the singing and 
shouting of the people \ and many of the old 
men wept aloud for joy. " So that the people 
could not discern the noise of the shout of joy 
from the noise of the weeping of the people : for 
the people shouted with a loud shout, and the 
noise was heard afar off.'' 

The work of building went on amid many hin- 
drances and discouragements. The people them- 
selves were often false, and broke the law of 
God. But they had true, noble leaders, such as 
Ezra and ISTehemiah, who read to them the book 
of Moses, and prayed and made confessions of 
sin. 



THE TEMPLE KEBUILT. 145 

A good many years later it was written in the 
Book, — 

''It we confess our sins, he is faithful and 
just to forgive us our sins^ and to cleanse us 
from all unrighteousness/' Over and over again 
this promise was given ; so these good men came 
with conhdence to God, and prayed for the people. 

At last the temple was completed, and dedicated 
with great sacrifices and rejoicings. Even then 
the prophet had great sorrow, as good men have at 
this day, that all do not observe the divine com- 
mand, "Eemember the sabbath day, to keep it 
holy." 

But the promise of God was fulfilled ; and again 
the people had the joy of seeing the holy and 
beautiful temple dedicated to the worship of the 
one God, and their loved Jerusalem the home of 
His people. 



146 TKUE STOKIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

QUESTIONS. 

Who love God's holy temple ? 

Did the captive Jews forget their holy and 
beautiful house which the great King Solomon 
built ? 

Did they forget their homes ? 

Had Daniel prayed for the restoration of the 
temple ? 

What king ordered it to be rebuilt ? 

Who moved his heart ? 

What did he tell the Jews ? 

What did he give back to them ? 

When the Jews had reached their own land, 
(iid they have any more trouble ? 

What good service do our enemies do us ? 

What happened when the foundations were 
laid? 

Were the people all true ? 

Who were their leaders ? 

What great sorrow had Ezra like what good 
men have at this day ? 



TRUE STORIES FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 



PART II. 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 149 



CHAPTER I. 
THE LIGHT OF THE WOULD. 

Nearly four thousand years of the world's 
history as recorded in the Book had passed. The 
prophecies, which had looked so improbable, were 
being fulfilled. 

The '^ king of Grecia/' foretold by Daniel, and 
known to the world as ^^ Alexander the Great'' 
(he was only a sword in the Lord's hand), had 
been met by a white-robed procession, led by the 
high priest Jaddua, as he drew near Jerusalem to 
destroy it, and had spared the city. He had even 
done reverence to the high priest, and kissed the 
sacred emblems. 

After him the Egyptians and Syrians had al- 
ternately ravaged the country, and the people 
were anxiously waiting for the coming of the 
promised Messiah. They thought that he would 
come as a mighty king, who would throw off the 



150 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Roman yoke, and restore their former greatness. 
But the " Light of the World " came in a man- 
ner quite unlike what they were expecting, though 
the prophecy was fulfilled to the letter. 

Herod, the Idumean, who had won the favor of 
the Roman emperor, and been made king over 
Judea, was very jealous of the Messiah, whom 
all were talking of and expecting. Great was his 
alarm w^hen he heard of the coming to Jerusalem 
of the ^^ wise men from the East." They were 
seeking for the new-born King; for, they said, 
^^We have seen his star in the East, and are 
come to worship him.'' 

The Book says, " he was troubled and all Jeru- 
salem with him." Why ? He was not a friend 
of God, and he feared for his throne. 

He sent for the chief priests and scribes, and 
" demanded of them where Christ should be born." 
They turned to the prophet Micah, and read, — 

" And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, ' 
art not the least among the princes of Juda; for 
out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule 
my people Israel." 




Following the Star. 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 151 

The crafty Herod thinks he has it all in his 
own hands now. He sent for the wise men pri- 
vately, and asked them about the star. He told 
them to go to Bethlehem, and " search diligently 
for the young child, and when ye have found him, 
bring me word again, that I may come and wor- 
ship him also.'' 

How could they know the cruel design of this 
crafty king? Yet they rejoiced when they again 
saw the star, which went before them to Bethle- 
hem, and stood over the place where the young 
child was. They did not think of the humble 
birth-place of this wonderful Being; but when 
" they saw the young child with Mary his mother, 
they fell down and worshipped him; and when 
they had opened their treasures, they presented 
unto him gifts ; gold and frankincense and 
myrrh.'' 

The Lord warned them in a dream not to re- 
turn to Herod, and they departed into their own 
country another way. 

In that country, on the night that Jesus was 
born, shepherds watching their flocks by night, 



152 TRUE STOTMES FROM THE BOOK. 

saw a great light, and the angel of the Lord, and 
'^ they were sore afraid." The angel said, " Fear 
not ; for behold I bring you tidings of great joy, 
which shall be to all people. Eor unto you is born 
this day in the city of David, a Saviour which is 
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto 
you ; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling 
L'lothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there 
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly 
host praising God, and saying. Glory to God in 
the highest, on earth peace, good will toward 
men.'' 

Words cannot picture this wonderful scene 
more clearly than the ones used in the Book. No 
wonder that the shepherds hastened to Bethle- 
hem to see this child of whom the angels sung, 
and seeing Him with Mary His mother, should 
tell the glad story abroad. ^' Mary kept all these 
things, and pondered them in her heart." 

There was in Jerusalem at this time a good man 
named Simeon, to whom it had been revealed that 
" he should not see death, before he had seen the 
Lord's Christ." When, eight days after His birth, 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 153 

Mary and Joseph brought the young child to the 
temple to present Him to the Lord, Simeon led 
" by the Spirit '' was there. 

Mary saw him take the child in his arms, and 
heard him say, — 

" Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in 
peace, ... for mine eyes have seen thy salva- 
tion.'' Then he blessed Joseph, and Mary the 
mother, and said words to her which she did not 
understand. 

Anna, the prophetess, a widow eighty-four years 
of age, who stayed constantly in the temple, and 
^^ served God with fasting and prayers night and 
day,'' coming in that instant, gave thanks like- 
wise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them 
that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." 

The first year of the life of the Saviour was 
spent in Egypt. An angel of the Lord warned 
them of Herod's wicked plot to take His life, and 
bade them go to Egypt and remain there till he 
should bring them word. For Herod, when he 
saw that the wise men did not return and tell him 
of the child, was very angry, and " sent forth, and 



154 TIIUE STORIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and 
in all the coasts thereof, from two years old 
and under.'' 

Foolish king ! He tried to measure strength 
Avith Jehovah. Joseph and Mary and the young 
child were safe in Egypt, while in all the homes of 
Bethlehem mothers were crying for their mur- 
dered children. 

The gifts of the wise men, probably, made the 
way easy for them ; and the cruel king was cut 
down in a year, and the angel told them to return 
to Israel, where they found that the son of the 
cruel Herod reigned. 

Led by his never-failing guide, Joseph went 
farther north into Galilee, and there made the city 
of Nazareth holy ground. Joseph and Mary little 
dreamed that the humble city which was their 
refuge should be a sacred shrine to which thou- 
sands of pilgrims should come in the future years. 

And in the lowly home of Joseph the carpenter, 
the child grew " strong in spirit and in wisdom." 

He w^as the Son of God — the King of kings; 
yet He gave a perfect example of how a child 



i 



THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 155 

should live. Every little child has a perfect jjat- 
tern in His life. 

When at twelve years of age He went up with 
His parents to Jerusalem, He found more pleasure 
in the temple, hearing the learned doctors, than 
anywhere else ; and His parents had gone a day's 
journey on their return home when they missed 
Him. They went back to the city, and sought 
three days before they found Him. 

Then they went into the temple, and there the 
boy sat among the learned doctors, -' both hearing 
them, and asking them questions. And all that 
heard Him were astonished at His understanding 
and His answers." 

Mary, like any mother, said to Him, — 

" Son, why hast thou dealt thus with us ? be- 
hold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.'' 
He answered her, ^^ Wist ye not that I must be 
about my Father's business ? '' Yet He obedi- 
ently returned to ]N"azareth with them, and •• was 
subject unto them.'' 

The commandment, ^'Children, obey your par- 
ents in the Lord," He kept truly, and '' increased 



lot) TRUE STORIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God 
and man." 

By His own perfect example He taught obedi- 
ence to the command of God. 



QUESTIONS. 

Who was the king of Greeia ? 

What priest met him as he came to destroy 
Jerusalem ? 

Did he spare the city ? 

What nations had ravaged the country ? 

For whom were the people anxiously waiting ? 

How did they think He would come ? 

Did the ^Messiah come in the way the people 
expected ? 

Was King Herod a fiiend to the new-born King? 

What did he bid the wise men to do ? 

Did they obey ? 

Why not ? 

Whom did the shepherds who were watching 
their flocks by night see ? 



THE LIGHT OF THE WOKLD. lo ( 

What song did the angels sing ? 

What did Simeon say when he saw the child ? 

AVhat did Anna do ? 

Where was the first year of the Saviour's life 
spent ? 

Who warned them of Herod's plot to take the 
child's life ? 

Did the foolish king gain anything fighting 
against God ? 

After his death, where did the holy family go ? 

What was Joseph's occupation ? 

Was the Saviour a dutiful child ? 

Where did His parents find Him Avhen they 
took Him to Jerusalem at twelve years of age ? 

Did He return to Xazareth with them ? 

What commandment did He observe ? 



158 TKUE STORIES FKOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE II. 
JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

Almost thirty years of the life of Jesus had 
passed by, when a strange man roughly clad came 
through the wilderness of Judea preaching, ^^Ee- 
pent ye : for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'' 

His coming had been foretold by the prophet 
Isaiah more than seven hundred years before ; and 
the people had read about him in the Scriptures, 
which they devoutly reverenced and believed. 

He wore a garment of camePs hair fastened by 
a leather girdle, and ^^ did eat locusts and wdld 
honey."' His father was the aged priest Zechariah ; 
and his mother, Elisabeth, also a daughter of 
Aaron, was cousin to Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

John was six months older than Jesus, whom he 
had never met. Did he fully realize the truth, 
when he said, "There cometh one mightier than 
I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not 
worthy to stoop down and unloose" ? 



JOHN THE BAPTIST. 169 

Great multitudes from the cities followed him 
and heard him cry in the very words of the 
prophet uttered so long ago, "Prepare ye the 
way of the Lord, make His paths straight.^^ Jesus 
himself, though He did not need to repent, though 
He was Himself " the Lord, '' came from Nazareth 
to John, who was at the Jordan, to be baptized by 
him. 

When the prophet saw Jesus coming he said, 
" Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the 
sin of the world.'^ 

John shrunk at first from baptizing the holy 
Jesus. He said, " I have need to be baptized of 
Thee, and comest Thou to me ? '' Jesus said, 
" Suffer it to be so now : for thus it becometh 
us to fulfil all righteousness.'^ 

As Jesus came up from His baptism, the heav- 
ens were opened, and the Spirit of God like a dove 
rested on Him. Then came a voice from heaven, 
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased." 

The next day John and two of his disciples saw 
Jesus, and John said, " Behold the Lamb of 



160 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

God.'^ The two disciples followed Jesus. He 
turned and asked them, " What seek ye ? ^^ 

"Master, where dwellest thou?'' they answered; 
and he said, "Come and see.'' They went with 
him and remained that day. They had begun to 
learn the truth from the prophet John, and hun- 
gered for more. 

The name of one was Andrew. He went after 
his brother Simon, and told him, " AYe have 
found the Christ." When Jesus saw Simon Peter, 
he said, " Thou shalt be called Cephas " — "a 
stone." 

The Lord Jesus knew all about what Peter 
would do, how, though one of his chosen twelve, 
he would deny him, and that he would bitterly 
repent, and serve him faithfully, and at last die 
for him. 

Andrew did just what every lover of Christ 
does at this day. AVhen he had found Jesus, he 
wished to bring his friends to Him, The voice of 
God from heaven at His baptism must have con- 
vinced all who heard that He was the Son of God 
— the Messiah whom all were looking for; and 



JOHN THE BAPTIST. 161 

John, who had so many disciples, had said plainly 
that He Avas " the Lamb of God/' He said, " He 
must increase, but I must decrease/' 

When all looked so clear, the terrible tempta- 
tion, when for forty days and forty nights the 
evil spirit tempted the Saviour, came. Though 
He was truly God, He was also man, and would 
show men by his own example how to overcome 
temptation. 

After the forty days. He was hungry like any 
other man, and the devil told Him, what he already 
knew, that He could turn the stones into bread. 
But He answered, " Man shall not live by bread 
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of 
the mouth of God.'' Thousands have been slain 
by appetite, but Jesus thus taught that the bread 
of life was more to be desired than earthly food. 

Then from the pinnacle of the temple He was 
tempted to cast himself down ; for was it not writ- 
ten, ^^He shall give his angels charge concerning 
thee ; " but Jesus rebuked the sin of presumption. 
He said, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy 
God" was written also. 



162 TRUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Then ambition was brought in seductive colors 
before the weary God-man. ambition which should 
in after years rob millions of the glories and joys 
of heaven. -^ All the kingdoms of the world, and 
the glory of them.*' were spread before Him. He 
had only to fall down and worship the prince 
of darkness. But Jesus said, ^- Get thee hence, 
Satan : for it is written, Thou shalt worship the 
Lord thy God, and Him onty shalt thou serve." 
Then Satan left Him, '-and angels came and min- 
istered unto Him.'' 

Jesus heard that the wicked Herod had cast 
John into prison, and went northward into Galilee. 
His public ministry was now begun, and He avoided 
scenes of danger, though all power was His. 

He saw Andrew and Simon Peter casting a net 
into the sea of Galilee, and said to them, — 

'^ Follow me, and I will make you fishers of 
men." The Christ had called them, and they 
came without a word of questioning. 

As they w^ent on, two brothers, James and John, 
were mending nets, with Zebedee, their father, by 
the sea, and He said, — 



JOHN THE BAPTIST. ■ 168 

" Follow me," and they obeyed. 
These poor fishermen little dreamed that thou- 
sands of years later their names would be illus- 
trious, and their simple obedience be admired and 
copied all over the world. 

Galilee, which had long sat in darkness, rejoiced 
in the first ministrations of the Light of the 
world. He taught in their synagogues; He 
preached the glorious gospel; He healed "all 
manner of disease" among them. 

It is no wonder that " His fame went through- 
out all Syria : and they brought unto Him all sick 
people that were taken with divers diseases and 
torments, and those which were possessed with 
devils, and those which were lunatic, and those 
that had the palsy; and He healed them." 

" He came unto His own, and His own received 
him not ; " yet in far away Galilee all were rejoi- 
cing in Him, and even the Syrians, the ancient ene- 
mies of Israel, were coming to Him with all their 
wants and woes. "And He healed them." 

The crowds which followed this wonderful man 
wearied Him, there was so much sorrow and suf- 



164 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

fering among them ; but He never questioned them, 
or turned away from the vilest among them. Even 
the leper, with his incurable, loathsome disease, 
who cried, — 

" Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean," 
heard the '' I will ; be thou clean,*' and was healed. 

Yet Jesus must have rest. He turned from the 
multitudes, and went up into a mountain. 

Here his disciples found Him, and He preached 
to them the most wonderful sermon that the world 
has ever known. 



QUESTIONS. 

How old was Jesus when the prophet came to 
the wilderness of Judea, crying, '' Eepent ye, for 
the kingdom of heaven is at hand ? '' 

What prophet foretold His coming ? 

Who were his father and mother ? and what w^as 
his name ? 

How much older than Jesus was he ? 

Eor what did Jesus come to John at the Jor- 
dan? 



JOHK THE BAPTIST. 165 

What did John say ? 

What answer did Jesus make 

What wonderful thing happened when Jesus 
came up out of the water ? 

Who followed Jesus to see where He dwelt ? 

What did He say to Simon Peter ? 

When Peter had found Jesus, what did He do ? 

How many days and nights did Christ's tempta- 
tion last ? 

What did He teach by this ? 

After Satan left the Saviour, who came to Him ? 

What did Jesus do when He heard that John 
had been cast into prison ? 

What disciples were first called ? 

Where did Jesus first teach ? 

Did He do great miracles ? 

Did all the people welcome Him ? 

Did He heal all who came to Him ? 



166 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER III. 
THE SEBMON OX THE MOUNT, 

Amoxg the millions of sermons which have been 
preached, there is only one perfect model ; and 
among the countless prayers ascending to heaven, 
there is only one perfect prayer. Jesus Christ 
gave us both of these. 

The sermon Avas entirely different from anything 
the disciples had ever heard before, so contrary to 
the teaching and promptings of their sinful hearts. 
He gave them first what are called the Beatitudes. 

^- Blessed are the poor in spirit," and '' they 
that mourn/' and -^ the meek,'' and '' they that 
do hunger and thirst after righteousness," and 
^^tlie merciful,*' and ^^ the pure in heart, for they 
shall see God," and -^the peacemakers, for they 
shall be called the children of God." To every 
one of these was given a beautiful promise. 

But the strangest words followed, " Blessed are 




The Sermon on the Mount. 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 167 

ye that are persecuted for righteousness' sake/' 
and " when men shall revile you^ and persecute 
you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely 
for my sake." Strange teaching this, the few 
who heard this wonderful sermon first, doubtless 
thought. 

Then He told them to '^ rejoice and be exceeding 
glad, for great is your reward in heaven." The 
prophets before them had suffered thus, and they 
were now reaping their reward. 

He told them, '' Ye are the salt of the earth," 
and, '' Ye are the light of the world," and bade 
them let their light shine, that men might glorify 
the Father in heaven. 

Finally He told them to, ^^Love your enemies, 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that 
hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use 
you, and persecute you. That ye may be children 
of your father which is in heaven." 

Is not this the great reward ? To become chil- 
dren of God ! The steps, though not easy, surely 
lead to Him. 

The whole sermon, though not so long as men 



168 trup: stories from the book. 

preach in these daj^s, is brimming over with truths 
which will make any life pure and beautiful. 

The prayer which the Lord Jesus taught His 
disciples is perhaps even more w^onderful than 
the sermon. If one can say it from the heart, he 
is sure/ If a child of God. 

Every want is expressed to God the Father, 
whose fulness of love must dwell in the soul which 
praySj " Forgive us our trespasses (fs we forgive 
them who tres^Dass against us." and the highest 
longing of the heart finds voice in the words, " Thy 
kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is 
in heaven.'^ 

When Jesus came down from the mountain, 
where He had been teaching these precious les- 
sons, great multitudes followed Him. This made 
the scribes and Pharisees hate Him^ but the Sa- 
viour was careful to avoid giving them any caus< 
for their cruel conduct. He bade the leper whom] 
he healed to '^ tell no man/' to ^^ show thyself to 
the priest, and offer the gift that Moses com- 
manded." 

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion met 



i 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 169 

him, and asked him to heal his servant who was 
sick of the palsy. Jesus answered, '' I will come 
and heal him." 

"I am not worthy that thon shouldst come 
under mxy roof/' the officer said, "but speak the 
word only, and my servant shall be healed. '^ 

"I have not found so great faith, no, not in 
Israel,'' the Saviour said to him. 

" Go thy Avay ; and as thou hast believed so be 
it done unto thee. And his servant was healed 
in the selfsame hour." 

When Jesus came into Peter's house. He found 
the mother sick of a fever. One touch from His 
hand, and the fever left her. 

It was evening, and still they crowded around 
Him, bringing the sick, and those who were pos- 
sessed of devils, and He healed them all. The 
prophet Isaiah had written, " Himself took our 
infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." But He was 
very weary, and told His disciples, that as the 
crowds still came, they would go to the other side 
of the sea. 

A scribe said to him, " Master, I will follow 
thee whithersoever tliou i^oest." 



170 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

'^ The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air 
have nests/*' he answered ; -' but the Son of man 
hath not where to lay his head." Jesus did not 
want any disciples to follow Him for worldly 
glory, but only those who could bear the hard- 
ships He bore, and who followed Him for love of 
Him. 

In the ship, so utterly wearied was he, that he 
fell asleep. A fierce storm came down uj^on them, 
and the frail vessel was tossed on the angry waves, 
3'et still he slept on. At last the trembling dis- 
ciples awoke him with. — 

^^Lord, save us: we perish." 

^^Why are ye fearful. ye of little faith?" 
he said. He arose, and rebuked the winds, and 
there was a great calm. Truly they need not fear, 
when the God of the earth and sea was with them. 

On the other side they met tvro men possessed 
of devils, so fierce that •• no man might pass that 
way." They knew the Son of God, and cried 
out, — 

'^ AYhat have we to do with thee ? . . . art thou 
come hither to torment us before the time ? " 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 171 

Jesus cast out the devils, and they were permitted 
to enter a herd of swine, which ^^ran violently 
down a steep place into the sea, and perished 
in the waters.'' 

The men of the city, when they heard all these 
things, " besought Him that He would depart out 
of their coasts." It is strange, indeed, that men 
should pray their best Friend to depart ; but some 
have done it always, and many are doing the 
same thing to-day. But the Saviour left them as 
they prayed Him to do, and crossed the sea again, 
and came into his own city. Here He healed the 
sick still, and here ate with publicans and sinners. 
He said, — 

" They that are whole need not a physician, but 
they that are sick.'' 

The ruler Avhose loved daughter was dead, came 
to Him and told Him that if He would only lay 
his hand upon her she should live. While He 
was on His way to the ruler's house, a woman 
who had been sick for twelve years came and 
just touched the hem of his garment, and was 
made whole. 



172 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

When He reached the ruler's house, the min- 
strels and the people were making a great noise. 
He said^ — 

" Give place : for the maid is not dead, but 
sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.'' 
When these strange mourners had been sent 
away. Jesus took the dead girl's hand, and she 
arose. 

The great Teacher who brought the dead to 
life, who gave the blind their sight, who cast 
out devils, who cleansed the lepers, and healed 
the palsied, must be God. Only He could do all 
these things. And there were so many sick and 
sorrowful ones, so many who needed His healing 
touch, that they thronged about Him. 

He loved and pitied them. Yet God uses 
human hands in His great harvest field. Jesus 
said, "'The harvest truly is plenteous, but the 
laborers are few ; pray ye therefore the Lord of 
the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into 
his harvest." 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 173 

QUESTIONS. 

What was the greatest sermon ever preached ? 

Were its teachings like anything ever before 
heard ? '' 

What is the great reward ? 

What prayer expresses every want of the hu- 
man soul ? 

Did Jesus heal the multitudes ? 

What had the prophet Isaiah written concern- 
ing Him ? 

What did the disciples cry when the ship was 
tossed in the tempest ? 

What did Jesus do ? 

What other great miracles did He do ? 



174 TRUE STOKIES FKOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER ly. 
THE TWELVE DISCIPLES. 

From among the thousands who followed the 
Saviour, He chose twelve who are known as His 
chosen disciples. Besides Andrew, Simon, James, 
and John, who Avere first called, there were Philip 
and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, another 
James and Lebbaeus, another Simon, and Judas 
Iscariot. Some of these we have learned to know 
very well. 

Jesus gave them power to cast out evil spirits, 
and to heal all manner of disease and sickness. 

He bade them to go first to ^^the lost sheep 
of the house of Israel," and to preach, " The king- 
dom of heaven is at hand." 

He told them He sent them forth ^^as sheep 
in the midst of wolves," for He knew all they 
must suffer for his sake. He told them " freely 
ye have received, freely give." 



THE TWELVE DISCIPLES. 175 

If they persecuted them in one city they must 
flee to another. The disciple was not above his 
Lord^ and that even the hairs of their head were 
numbered. Their Father would care for them^ 
andj though they must suffer persecution for His 
sake^ whosoever should give them a cup of cold 
water in the name of a disciple, should not lose his 
reward. 

He told them that '' whosoever shall confess Me 
before men, him will I confess before My Father 
which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny 
Me before men, him will I also deny before My 
Father which is in heaven.'' 

When John the Baptist, whom Herod had cast 
into prison, heard of the great miracles which 
Jesus wrought, he sent two of his disciples to 
Him with the question, — 

" Art Thou He that should come, or do we look 
for another ? '' 

Jesus told them to go and tell John that " the 
blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers 
are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised 
up, and the poor have the gospel preached to 



176 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

them." This doubtless made John very happy, 
though he Avas a prisoner. 

Soon after this he went from his prison to his 
throne in heaven. The wicked Herodias, who was 
much worse than Herod, her husband, and who 
was the means of John's being cast into prison, 
was determined that he shouki die. The good 
man had rebuked her sin, and she hated him. 

Salome, her beautiful daughter, danced before 
the king ; and he, foolish from drinking wine, 
promised her whatever she should ask, ^-even to 
the half of his kingdom.'' The cruel maid, in- 
structed by her wicked mother, said, ^^Give me 
here John Baptist's head in a charger." 

The king, who was not utterly bad, and knew 
that John was a good man, was sorry ; but coward 
as he was, he sent to the prison, and John Avas 
beheaded, and the gray head Avas giA^en to Salome, 
making her shame immortal. 

But remorse, the Avorm that never dies, AA^as 
now Herod's portion. He heard of the fame of 
Jesus, and said to his serA^ants, — 

^^This is John the Baptist; he is risen from 




Feeding the Multitude. 



THE TWELVE DISCIPLES. 177 

the dead ; and therefore mighty works do show 
forth themselves in him.'' 

Jesus, when He heard of the death of John, 
did not stay to meet the danger. He went away 
in a ship and came to a 'desert shore ; but the 
people from all the cities followed Him. 

The One who spake such gracious words, who 
healed the sick and raised the dead, could not 
be hid. Evening came, and the great multitude 
still tarried. His disciples said to Him, — 

^^This is a desert place, and the time is past; 
send the multitude away, that they may go into 
the villages, and buy themselves victuals.'' 

Jesus answered, — 

'' They need not depart ; give ye them to eat." 

'^ We have here but five loaves and two fishes," 
they said. 

^' Bring them hither to me," said the Master. 

He bade the multitude to sit down on the grass. 
He took the loaves and fishes and blessed them. 
Then He brake, and gave them to His disciples, 
and they to the people ; and five thousand men, 
besides women and children, were fed. 



178 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

He would not turn the stones to bread when 
He was so hungry; but when He saw the great 
multitude faint and hungry, He did this miracle. 

Now He told His disciples to go into a ship, and 
sail for the other side, while He sent the multi- 
tudes away. He went up into a mountain to pray, 
and was there alone. The ship, tossed by the 
winds and waves, was in the midst of the sea, 
when the disciples saw Jesus coming to them, 
walking on the sea. 

They had seen Him do greater works than this, 
yet they were afraid. They said, — 

" It is a spirit," and cried out in fear. Over the 
tossing billows came His loved voice, — 

" Be of good cheer ; it is I ; be not afraid." 

Peter joyfully cried out, — 

" Bid me come to thee on the water." 

'' Come," the blaster said, and Peter walked on 
the water safely till he looked away from Jesus. 
The great waves were so frightful that he was 
afraid. Then he began to sink, and cried out in 
terror, " Lord, save me." Jesus put forth His 
hand and caught him. 



I 



THE TWELVE DISCIPLES. 179 

^^0 thou of little faith/' He said, ^^ wherefore 
didst thou doubt ? '' Then they both came into 
the ship^ and the wind ceased. 

Those in the ship said^ '' Thou art the Son of 
God/' and they worshipped Him. Still the crowds 
thronged about Him when He reached the other 
shore, friends and foes ; and still He healed them 
all, even the most degraded. 

Again He fed the multitude, four thousand men, 
besides Avomen and children, with only seven 
loaves and a few small fishes ; and seven baskets 
of fragments remained. 

But the time was drawing near Avhen this life, 
so full of good deeds, must close. He told His 
disciples that He should be betrayed, that He 
should be killed, and that the third day He should 
rise again. They could not have understood this, 
for soon after they were asking Him who should 
be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus 
called a little child to Him and said that, unless 
they were converted, and became as little children, 
they could not enter the kingdom of heaven. Hu- 
mility was a very hard lesson for even the lovers 
of Jesus to learn. 



180 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

It is not 230ssible in this little volume to even 
mention the many miracles which Jesus did. 
They are all recorded in the Book. 

If these short stories shall lead any to study 
the Bible, they will find great treasures. 

When Jesus came into Jerusalem this last time, 
it was another prophecy fulhlled. ^' Tell ye the 
daughter of Sion. Behold thy king cometh unto 
thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt 
the foal of an ass." 

And the multitudes spread all the way with 
their garments and palm branches, and cried, 
'^ Hosanna to the Son of David : Blessed is he 
that cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna 
in the highest.*' He went at once to the temple 
and '' cast out all them that sold and bought, . . . 
and overthrew the tables of the money changers.'^ 
He said, — 

" It is written, My house shall be called the 
house of prayer ; but ye have made it a den of 
thieves.'' 

'' The blind and the lame came to him in the 
temple ; and he healed them." And the little 



THE TWELVE DISCIPLES. 181 

children cried, '^ Hosanna to the Son of David." 
Jesus was always kind and loving to the children. 
At one time, when the mothers brought them to 
Him for His blessing, the disciples would have 
turned them away. But the Master was dis- 
pleased with them. 

He took the little ones in His arms and blessed 
them. 

He said, '^ Suffer the little children to come unto 
me, and forbid them not : for of such is the king- 
dom of God." 

Is not this a royal invitation ? For every little 
child may belong to the kingdom of God, if he 
will. Yet children as well as grown people must 
choose the dear Saviour as their Master, if they 
hope to live with Him forever in heaven. 



QUESTIONS. 

How many from among the multitude which 
followed Him did Jesus choose as disciples ? 
What were their names ? 
To whom did Jesus bid them to go first ? 



182 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Did He warn them what they must suffer for 
His sake ? 

What did He say of those who should confess 
Him? 

Of those who should deny Him ? 

What did Herod do to John the Baptist ? 

What wicked woman determined that he should 
die? 

How did Salome accomplish this ? 

What was Herod's portion ? 

After John's death, where did Jesus go ? 

How did He feed the multitude which followed 
Him? 

Did He do this miracle more than once ? 

How did He come to His disciples in the ship ? 

Did they know Him ? 

What did He say to them ? 

Who tried to go to Him on the water ? 

What made him begin to sink ? 

When Jesus helped him what did He say to him ? 

Safe in the ship, what did the disciples do ? 

Did Jesus tell His disciples that He should be 
betrayed ? 



THE TWELVE DISCIPLES 183 

Did they understand Him ? 

What did He do when asked who should be 
greatest in the kingdom of heaven ? 

What lesson is so hard to learn ? 

When Jesus came into Jerusalem the last time, 
what prophecy was fulfilled ? 

What did the little children cry ? 

Did Jesus love the children ? 

What precious promise did He give them ? 



184 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE V. 
THE MASTER IS BETBAYED. 

Ambition is a hateful sin, and it is sad to see 
it, even among Christ's chosen ones. But there is 
a sin more deadly, and it creeps into the hearts of 
God's children even down to this day. 

Judas Iscariot saw the beautiful, loving, holy 
Christ every day. And we believe he loved Him. 
But he loved something else better. 

He was the treasurer. He " carried the bag ; '' 
and at one time, when an alabaster box of precious 
ointment was poured upon the Saviour's head, he 
grumbled, and called it " waste." Oh, how he 
loved money ! better than his Master, better than 
his own soul, better than his hopes of heaven. 
For he sold them all for money. 

The saddest story ever written is that of the 
betrayal and shameful death of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 



THE MASTER IS BETRAYED. 185 

He told His disciples at the last supper that one 
of them should betray Him. They all asked, ^^Is 
it I ? '^ yet Judas went out from this very supper 
and sold Him to His enemies for thirty pieces of 
silver. 

Peter was so sanguine, that he said, — 

^^ Though I should die with thee, I will not 
deny thee.'' For Jesus had told him that he 
would deny Him thrice that very night. Alas ! 
we do not know ourselves. All the disciples said 
the same as Peter. 

He went with His disciples to a place called 
Gethsemane. He was bowed down by a weight 
of sorrow such as we can never know. The 
agony of the cruel death which He knew was so 
near was not the worst. He bore the sins of the 
whole world on His pure, loving heart. 

He took Peter and James and John, and went 
farther on. He told them, " My soul is exceeding 
sorrowful, even unto death,'' and went by Himself 
and prayed. In His agony great sweat-drops of 
blood fell to the ground. And an angel came and 
strengthened Him, but His disciples slept. He 



186 TRUE STORIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

said to Peter, '' Could ye not watch witli me one 
hour ? '' 

Again He went away and prayed, " my 
Father, if this cup may not pass away from me 
except I drink it, thy will be done." And the 
second time He found them asleep. Was it grief 
which overcame them ? 

Jesus was very pitiful, and the third time He 
left them and prayed the same prayer. Then He 
came to them and said, " Sleep on now, and take 
your rest : behold the hour is at hand, and the 
Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.'' 

They were awake now, and He told them that 
His betrayer was near. A great multitude here 
came into the garden, led by the traitor Judas. 
This wretched man said, '' Hail, Master, and kissed 
him.'' 

Jesus did not resist when they laid hands on 
Him ; but Peter drew his sword, and struck the 
high priest's servant, and cut off his ear. Jesus 
rebuked Peter. He said, '^ Put up thy sword : 
... they that take the sword shall perish with 
the sword." He told them that if He should 



THE MASTER IS BETRAYED. 187 

ask, the Father would give Him ^^ twelve legions 
of angels." And He healed the man by a touch. 

Then we read the sad story, '' all the disciples 
forsook him and fled.^^ They led the Saviour 
away to the high priest, and '^ Peter followed him 
afar off.'' He could fight better than he could 
watch and pray. His accusers could find nothing 
against Jesus, yet Peter three times denied that 
he knew Him. Jesus looked upon Peter, and '' he 
went out and wept bitterly." 

In the morning, Avhen Judas Iscariot saw what 
he had done, he came to the priests and brought 
back the money. He said, — 

'' I have sinned in that I have betrayed the inno- 
cent blood." 

^^ What is that to us ? See thou to that," they 
answered. And ^^he went out and hanged him- 
self." 

Pontius Pilate, the governor, had a great deal of 
trouble with the innocent prisoner. He could not 
find anything against Him, and the Jews were 
determined that He must die. 

When he was seated on the judgment seat, his 



188 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

wife sent a messenger to him, saying, '* Have thou 
nothing to do with that just man, for I have suf- 
fered many things this day in a dream because of 
him.'' , Pilate was faithfully warned, but he was a 
coward. He said, " I find no fault in him.'' He 
washed his hands before the multitude, saying, '' I 
am innocent of the blood of this just person, 
see ye to it ; " and then — " he delivered him to 
be crucified." 

Is it strange that Pilate, the Koman governor^ 
and Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, stand side by 
side on the roll of infamy ? 

They put a scarlet robe upon Him ; they platted 
a crown of thorns, and placed it on the head of 
Jesus ; they placed a reed in His hand, and bowed 
before Him in mockery, saying, — 

'^ Hail, King of the Jews.'' Then they stripped 
His garments from Him, and smote Him on the 
head with the reed. They spit upon Him, and 
led Him away to be crucified. They nailed Him 
to the cross, and placed the inscription over Him, 
^^This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." 

He could have had '^ more than twelve legions of 



THE MASTER IS BETKAYED. 189 

angels '' if He had called for them ; but He hung 
there by His bleeding, mangled hands and feet, 
and even in His awful agony he said to the peni- 
tent thief beside Him, " This day shalt thou be 
with me in paradise." 

The sun refused to shine. Three hours there 
was darkness over the land ; and when the soul of 
Jesus left the agonized body, " the veil of the 
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bot- 
tom ; and the earth did quake, and the rocks 
rent; And the graves were opened; and many 
bodies of the saints which slept arose. And came 
out of the graves after his resurrection, and went 
into the holy city, and appeared to many. 

" ]N'ow when the centurion and they that were 
with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and 
those things that were done, they feared greatly, 
saying. Truly this was the Son of God.'' 

Many women watched the awful scene; and a 
rich man, Joseph, went to Pilate and begged the 
body of Jesus. He wrapped it in a clean linen 
cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb. 

Those who crucified Him remembered that He 
said He would rise again, and went to Pilate and 



190 TKUE STOIMES FKOM THE BOOK. 

begged that the sepulchre should be made sure 
till the third day, and that a watch should be set. 
Pilate said, " Ye have a watch : go your way, 
make it as sure as ye can.'' So the Eoman seal 
was placed on the stone at the mouth of the sep- 
ulchre. It was death for any man to break this 
seal. 

They placed a guard of soldiers around the 
tomb. If any one of these should sleep at his 
post, the penalty would be death. So they had, 
as the}^ thought, viade it sure. Their rage was 
satisfied. 



QUESTIONS. 

Did Judas Iscariot love Jesus ? 
What did he love more ? 
What was his office among the disciples ? 
What did he say when Mary poured the pre- 
cious ointment upon the Saviour's head ? 
What did Jesus say at the last supper ? 
What did they ask ? 
Where did Judas go from this supper ? 



THE MASTER IS BETRAYED. 191 

For how much did he sell his Master ?, 

What did Peter declare ? 

What did all the disciples say ? 

Where did Jesus and His disciples now go ? 

What heavy load did Jesus bear ? 

Whom did He take as He went farther on ? 

What did He say to them ? 

In His agony^ what happened ? 

Who came to Him ? 

What did His disciples do ? 

What did He say to them ? 

What was Jesus' prayer ? 

Did He find them again asleep ? 

What did He say when He came to them the 
third time ? 

Who came into the garden ? 

Who led them ? 

What did Judas do ? 

Who drew his sword ? 

What did Jesus say to Peter ? 

What did He tell them the Eather would give 
Him if He should ask ? 

Did He heal the man ? 



192 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

What s^d story do we next read ? 

How did Peter follow Him ? 

How many times did he deny Him? 

When Jesus looked upon Peter^ what did he do ? 

When Judas saw his Master a prisoner^ what 
did he do ? 

Did the priests take back the money ? 

What did they say to him ? 

AVhat did he then do ? 

Was Pilate, the governor, a brave man ? 

Did his wife warn him ? 

What did he say of Jesus ? 

How did he try to wash away his sin in con- 
demning him ? 

What two men stand side by side on the roll 
of infamy ? 

What did they do with the holy and innocent 
Jesus ? 

What did Jesus say to the penitent thief who 
hung beside him ? 

When Jesus died on the cross, wliat strange 
things occurred ? 

What did the centurion say ? 



THE MASTER IS BETRAYED. 193 

What rich man begged the body of Jesus ? 
What did those who crucified Him remember ? 
What precaution did they take ? 
Wliat was the penalty for breaking the Roman 
seal? 

What for sleeping at the post ? 



19-1 TRUE STORIES FllOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE RESUBRECTION, 

Very early in the morning of the first day of 
the week, the clay Avhich should ever after be 
hallowed as the Christian Sabbath, Mary Magda- 
lene and '^ the other Mary '' came to the sepulchre. 
On the way they had thought of the great stone at 
the door of the sepulchre. 

'^ Who shall roll us away the stone ? '' they had 
queried ; for they had brought sweet spices to 
anoint the loved body. 

^' There was a great earthquake : for the angel 
of the Lord descended from heaven, and came 
and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat 
upon it.'' The soldiers had fallen like dead men. 

The angel told the women that the Lord had 
risen ; and the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to 
Mary, and said, ^^Be not afraid." 

He bade her tell His disciples the glad news, 




The Saviour Appears to Mary Magdalene. 



THE RESURRECTION. 195 

and that they should go into Galilee, where He 
would meet them. Trembling, yet elate, the first 
gospel messenger bore the glad news to the dis- 
ciples whom Jesus loved. And the watch, which 
had failed so entirely, carried the news to the 
chief priests who had employed them. 

These men bade the soldiers say that " His dis- 
ciples came by night and stole him away while we 
slept." Theij would manage matters with the gov- 
ernor, should he hear of it. The soldiers took the 
money which the priests offered, and told the lie 
which they bade them tell, and those who ivished 
to believed it. 

But the disciples were filled with gladness. 
There were eleven of them now. They went to 
Galilee, as Jesus had bidden them, to a mountain 
where He had appointed. And the risen Saviour 
met them there, and they worshipped Him, " but 
some doubted.'' 

Forty days after His crucifixion He remained on 
earth, coming to His disciples when the doors were 
all shut. He showed them His hands and His 
feet. He taught them the blessed gospel, He 



196 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

walked with them, He talked with them, He ate 
with them. 

Ten different times are recorded when He ap- 
peared to them, at one time when five hundred 
saw Him. No fact was ever better proven ; and 
that Christ is risen, gives the whole world hope 
of eternal life. 

Time is computed from the fact that the Son of 
God came to the world which He had made ; and 
^^in the year of our Lord,'' and ^^ Before Christ," 
are the data for all events which have occurred. 

Christ had bidden His disciples to '^ go into all 
the world and preach the gospel to every crea- 
ture,'' to heal the sick, to cast out devils, to do the 
works they had seen Him do; and He had said, — 

" Greater works shall ye do, because I go unto 
my Father." Was not this a great promise ? He 
had told them that it was better for them that He 
should go away, for He would send them the Com- 
forter, who would lead them into all truth. 

He told them that " John truly baptized with 
water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy 
Ghost not many days hence," and that '' ye shall 



THE RESURRECTION. 197 

receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both 
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, 
and unto the uttermost parts of the earth/' Then 
'^ he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of 
their sight.*' 

As the disciples gazed upward, * two men in 
white stood by them. They said, '^ This same 
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, 
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him 
go into heaven.'' 



QUESTIONS. 

Since Christ, what day has been recognized as 
the Christian Sabbath ? 

Who came to the sepulchre on that day ? 

What questions ha^d troubled them on the way ? 

Who had rolled away the stone ? 

Where were the soldiers ? 

What did the angel tell the women ? 

Who spoke to Mary Magdalene ? 

What message did He send to His disciples ? 



198 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

What did the baffled soldiers do ? 

What lie did the priests bid the soldiers tell ? 

Where did Jesus first appear to His eleven dis- 
ciples ? 

How many days did He remain on earth ? 

How many times did He appear to His disciples ? 

How many persons saw Him at one time ? 

What is it which gives to the world hope of 
eternal life ? 

From what date is time computed ? 

What did Christ say that His disciples should 
do? 

When He told them that it was better for them 
that He should go away, who did He say He 
would send to them ? 

How should the\^ be baptized " not many days 
hence '' ? 

What should they receive ? 

What then occurred ? 

As the disciples stood gazing into heaven, what 
did the two men in white say to them ? 



THE DAY OF PENTECOST. 199 



I 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE DAY OF PENTECOST, 

From th.e Mount of Olivet, where they had seen 
the Lord Jesus ascend into heaven, the disciples 
came back, "^ sabbath day's journey/' to Jeru- 
salem. 

Here they " went up into an upper room " to 
^^wait for the promise of the Father,'' as Jesus 
had bidden them. 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there, and the 
women, and the entire church of Christ. They 
numbered only one hundred and twenty, but they 
" continued with one accord in prayer and suppli- 
cation." Matthias was chosen in place of the 
traitor Judas as one of the twelve. 

^^And when the day of Pentecost was fully 
come, they were all with one accord in one place." 
Then came the great event for which they had 
been praying so many days. '' A sound from 



200 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

heaven as of a rushing mighty wind filled all the 
house/' and ^^ cloven tongues like as of hre saf 
upon each of them." ^^ They were all filled with 
the Holy Ghost.'' They began to speak in various 
languages as He tauglit them. 

Jerusalem was filled with devout men from all 
parts of the world. These, hearing the news, 
came to the place to hear in their own language 
the unlearned Galileans '' tell of the wonderful 
works of God." They were filled with wonder ; 
and Peter told them that this was the fulfilment 
of the prophecy of Joel. The Holy Spirit had 
come. It had fallen on the servants and hand- 
maidens of God. 

Then he preached Christ and His resurrection 
with great power. He bade them, ^^ Repent, and 
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus 
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall re- 
ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 

Three thousand people heeded the call on that 
day. They w^ere baptized, and joined the army of 
Christ. They " sold their possessions," and gave 
to all w^ho were needy, " continuing daily with one 



THE DAY OF PENTECOST. 201 

accord in the temple, . . . praising God, and having 
favor with all the people. And the Lord added 
to the church daily such as should be saved." 

We do not wonder at this, for the people who 
served Christ were so full of joy and gladness. 
^^The joy of the Lord is your strength," the 
Bible says. 

Then, they were so tender-hearted, caring for the 
needy. They loved each other so, and love is 
wonderfully attractive. ^^ See how these Chris- 
tians love " brings more people into the church of 
God than the most powerful arguments. " Prais- 
ing God " was another of their characteristics. It 
is good to praise the Lord, and to knoiv the blessed 
Comforter. 



QUESTIONS. 

Where did the disciples go from Olivet ? 
How many were gathered in the upper room ? 
and for what were they praying ? 

Who was chosen in place of the traitor Judas ? 



202 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

When the day of Pentecost was fully come, 
what occurred ? 

What effect did this have on the people of all 
nations who were in Jerusalem ? 

What did Peter tell them ? 

How many were converted that day ? 

Were more added to the number daily ? 

What is the strength of the Christian ? 

What wins more than argument ? 



SOME OF THE DISCIPLES. 203 



CHAPTER VIII. 
SOME OF THE DISCIPLES. 

It is hard to recognize in Peter, after lie re- 
ceived the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the fiery, 
impetuous^ cotvardly man, who, on the night when 
his Lord stood before his enemies, denied Him with 
an oath, Jesus had loved him so ; he was one of 
the first chosen ; he had stood with James and 
John on the Mount of Transfiguration, and seen 
the glory of the Lord. He had seen Moses and 
Elijah talking with Jesus, and had cried, '^ Lord, 
it is good for us to be here ; let us build here 
three tabernacles,'' and had heard the voice from 
heaven, " This is my beloved Son, hear ye him.'' 
Yet only forty days ago he had denied Him thrice. 

Now all is changed. While the people were all 
wondering at the scenes of the day of Pentecost, 
he boldly stood up and declared that this was only 
the fulfilment of Joel's prophecy. He told the 



204 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

Jews who had crucified Jesus, that he had risen, 
and now, seated at the right hand of the Father, 
'^ He hath shed forth this which ye now see and 
hear." 

He went with John to the temple. At the gate 
he saw a lame man, w^ho asked for alms. Peter 
answered, ^^ Silver and gold have I none ; but such 
as I have give I thee : In the name of Jesus of 
Nazareth rise up and walk.'' He took his hand 
and lifted him up ; and leaping and praising God, 
the man who had been lame entered into the tem- 
ple with them. The crowds came around, and 
Peter told them of Jesus and his resurrection. 
He said that ^^ his name, through faith in his 
name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see 
and know.'' 

AYith this notable miracle before them, with the 
burning words of Peter and John sounding in 
their ears, the scribes and Pharisees were almost 
powerless. Pive thousand more turned to God. 
Then Peter and John were arrested, and held in 
prison till the next day. They were threatened, 
and commanded not to speak at all in the name of 



SOME OF THE DISCIPLES. 205 

Jesus. ^^ Whether it be right in the sight of God, ' 
to hearken unto you more than God, judge ye/' 
they answered. The priests were afraid of the 
people, so they threatened them again, and let 
them go. 

When they came again to their own company, 
they prayed together for power to withstand their 
enemies, and to do the work of God. Again '^ the 
place was shaken where they were assembled to- 
gether, and they were all filled with the Holy 
Ghost, and they spake the word of God with bold- 
ness.'' 

After this we see no more vacillation in Peter. 
Multitudes were added to the church ; and so great 
was his power, that the sick were brought into the 
streets that his shadow might fall on them. ' He 
healed all the sick, and the high priest was so 
angry that he thrust all the apostles into the com- 
mon prison. 

That night the angel of the Lord opened the 
prison doors and brought them out. He told them 
to go and teach in the temple. When the high 
priest sent for the prisoners in the morning, the 



20(J TKUE STOKIES FllOM THE BOOK. 

officers found the prison doors closed, and the 
keepers standing before them, but — the j9?'i5o?^ 
was emjjty. Then one came and told them that 
the men whom they sought were in the temple 
teaching the people. They were amazed. They 
sent for the apostles, and asked them why their 
commands were not obeyed. Peter answered 
boldly, — 

" We ought to obey God rather than man," and 
spoke the truth so fearlessly that they were filled 
with rage. They sent the men out, and '' took 
counsel to slay them.'' But one of the council 
said, — 

'' Eefrain from these men, and let them alone : 
for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will 
come to nought : But if it be of God, ye cannot 
overthrow it ; lest haply ye be found even to light 
against God."* They listened to this sound ad- 
vice ; and when they had beaten the men, and 
commanded them not to speak in the name of 
Jesus, they let them go. 

They went forth, " rejoicing that they were 
counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." 



SOME OF THE DISCIPLES. 207 

Still they taught daily in the temple, and in every 
house preached Jesus Christ. 

The number of believers became so great that 
the priests were alarmed, and persecution arose. 
The holy Stephen was stoned to death, praying, 
" Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. ^^ A young 
man, Saul, of whom we learn more later, was 
among the persecutors. The disciples were scat- 
tered, and went everywhere preaching the Word. 
The life of Peter was long ; and he did many great 
miracles, even calling the dead Dorcas back to 
life. 

He was the first one who preached the gospel to 
the Gentiles. He was again set free from prison 
by an angel of the Lord. After a long and glori- 
ous career, it is said that, under the cruel Kero, he 
was, with the great apostle Paul, thrown into the 
Mamertine prison at Rome. Here he was con- 
fined eight or nine months ; and then, when the 
emperor Nero came back to Epme, he received the 
crown of martyrdom. 

He was crucified like his Master; yet so great 
was his sorrow for his sin in denying Him, that he 



208 TRUE STOllIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

begged to be permitted to he crucified with his head 
doioiward. This was granted. One of the grand- 
est churches in the world, St. Peter's, was erected 
in his honor. 



QUESTIONS. 

After Peter had received the baptism of the 
Holy Ghost, was he a changed man ? 

Was he brave now ? 

How man}^ more turned to God ? 

What did the priests do to Peter and John ? 

What did the disciples answer them ? 

When they came again to their own company, 
what occurred ? 

Did Peter do great miracles ? 

What did the angry high priest do ? 

Who opened the prison doors ? 

When the priests sent to an empty prison the 
next morning, how did they feel ? 

What answer did Peter make when questioned ? 

What sound advice did one of the council give ? 

What then did the priests do ? 



SOME OF THE DISCIPLES. 209 

Why did the apostles rejoice ? 

Who was the first martyr ? 

What noted man was among the persecutors ? 

What effect did persecution have ? 

What cruel emperor threw Peter into prison 
with Paul^ the great apostle ? 

How long was he imprisoned ? and how did he 
die? 

What was his request as to the manner of his 
crucifixion ? 



210 TRUE STOKIES FKOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE IX. 
JOHN. 

JoHXj " the beloved disciple/' the companion of 
Peter through the glorious season of Pentecost, 
was one of the first whom Jesus called to be His 
followers. He wrote five of the most beautiful 
books of the Bible. He rejoiced that he was 
counted worthy to suffer for his Master. - 

The Emperor Domitian, when he banished him 
to the lonely Isle of Patmos, meant to punish 
him for his religion. If, instead of this, he had 
placed him on the throne 'of the Caesars, he could 
not have done him so great an honor. For on Pat- 
mos the great God met him. He " was in the 
Spirit on the Lord's day/' and heard ^^a great 
voice as of a trumpet." The voice said, ^^I am 
Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. What 
thou seest, write in a book." The glorious Being 
whom John saw, and the words which he heard, 



JOHN. 211 

are written in that grand and mysterious book, 
Eevelation, the last book in the Bible^ but the 
first which the great ax30stle wrote. 

This same cruel Domitian had^ before this^ or- 
dered him to be thrown into a caldron of boil- 
ing oil. One greater than the Eoman emperor 
preserved him from harm, and his banishment to 
Patmos followed. Then the death of Domitian, 
and the succession of Nerva, a wiser and better 
emperor, opened the way for John's return to 
his beloved Ephesus, where he was bishop for 
many, years. 

He was many years younger than any of the 
other apostles ; yet when, after the Saviour had 
risen, the provinces were divided among the apos- 
tles, Asia had fallen to his share. He did not at 
once enter upon his Avork. His loved Master had, 
on the cross of agony, given to his charge his be^ 
loved mother ; and for fifteen years John remained 
in Jerusalem, caring for her in her deep sorrow. 
When death released her he went at once to Asia, 
where he planted many churches, and until ex- 
treme old age, with the assistance of seven other 



212 TKUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

bishops, cared for the churches throughout Asia 
Minor. 

AVheii extreme age had so enfeebled him that 
he coukl no longer preach, he was constantly led, 
at every public meeting, to the cluirch at Ephe- 
sus, where his one precept was, " Little children, 
love one another. '^ 

" Charity " — love — and humility were the 
very soul of all his teaching, though he was 
styled ^^a son of thunder. '^ His three epistles 
breathe the same spirit. They were written after 
Eevelation ; and, lastly, after a general fast 
through all the Asiatic churches, and prayer for 
divine guidance, St. John's Gospel was written. 
He died at ninety-eight, and was buried near 
Ephesus, the only apostle who escaped mar- 
tyrdom. 

QUESTIONS. 

How many books of the Bible did John, "the 
beloved disciple,'' write ? 

Why did the Emperor Domitian banish him to 
Patmos ? 



I 



JOHN. 213 

Who met him there ? 

What grand book did he write there ? 

How had Domitian shown his malice before 
this ? 

Who preserved John from harm in the caldron 
of boiling oil ? 

After the death of Domitian^ where did John 
go? 

What division of the church was his especial 
care ? 

Before coming to Ephesus, why did he remain 
in Jerusalem for fifteen years ? 

How long did he remain at Ephesus after the 
death of Mary? 

What is the soul of John^s teaching ? 

What was he styled ? 

What three books did he write after Revela- 
tion ? 

Before writing his Gospel, what was ordered 
throughout all the Asiatic churches ? 

How old was he when he died ? 

Did he escape martyrdom ? 



214 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE X. 
SAUL, OB PAUL. 

Saul is the Hebrew, and Paul the Latin, name 
for a great and good man whose name is immortal, 
because he obeyed God. He was born in the rich 
and populous city of Tarsus, a Eoman city, a free 
corporation, endowed with all the privileges of 
Eome. Yet he was a Jew of the tribe of Ben- 
jamin, and two years older than Jesus. 

The citizens of Tarsus often sent their children 
to Jerusalem for education. Saul was one of 
these, and was trained by Gamaliel, a very emi- 
nent rabbi, who is now only remembered because 
he was Paul's teacher. The pupil was a diligent 
student, a rigid Pharisee, ^' blameless " according 
to the law, and hating the new sect, the followers 
of Jesus, with a devout religious hatred. 

He thought that he was doing God service by 
persecuting them, by casting them into prison ; and 



215 

when the holy Stephen^ the first martyr, was 
stoned to death, he held the clothes of those who 
killed him. Did a ray of divine light pierce the 
heart of the fiery zealot when he looked upon the 
shining face of the sufferer, and heard his dying 
prayer, " Lord, lay not this sin to their charge '' ? 

He was '' exceeding mad " against the Christians ; 
he ^^Avent into every house,*' and dragged men and 
women to prison. He begged the high priest to 
give him letters to the synagogues in Damascus, 
that he might bring men or women who believed 
in Jesus bound to Jerusalem. ^^ Breathing out 
threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of 
the Lord," Saul, on his journey, drew near to Da- 
mascus. Suddenly a light flamed about him, and 
he heard a voice, — 

" Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? " He 
had fallen prostrate on the ground, yet he knew 
God's voice. He answered, ^^Who art thou, 
Lord ? " ^^ I am Jesus whom thou persecutest : it 
is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," the 
Lord said to him. The men who were with him 
heard the voice, but saw no man. 



216 TRUE STOKIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

Trembling and astonished, Saul cried, ^^Lord, 
what wilt thou have me to do ? ^' '^ Arise, and go 
into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou 
must do," the Lord replied. Saul arose and opened 
his eyes, but he was blind. They led him into 
the city, to the house of a man named Judas, on 
a street called Straight. Millions have visited the 
city of Damascus, and the street called Straight, 
because for three days Saul lay here in his help- 
less blindness, tasting neither food nor drink. 

Then the Lord spoke to a disciple called Ananias, 
and bade him go to Saul and ^Dut his hands upon 
him, that he might receive his sight, '^ for behold 
he prayeth." Ananias did what so many Chris- 
tians do now, told the Lord what he already knew, 
what a cruel persecutor Saul was, and that his 
errand to Damascus was to bind believers. " Go 
thy way,'' the Lord answered ; " for he is a chosen 
vessel unto me, to bear my name before the 
Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." 

Ananias went to Saul, and placing his hands 
on him, said, " Brother Saul, the Lord, even 
Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou 



SAUL, OR PAUL. 217 

earnest^ hath sent me that thou mightest receive 
thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." 
Something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and 
he could see. He arose and was baptized, and 
then ate and was strengthened. 

ISTow he was as valiant for Jesus as he had 
been against Him. The persecutor had become 
an earnest advocate ; and so many believed, that 
the Jews whom he vanquished in argument that 
Christ was the Son of God, sought to kill him. 
He was let down in a basket by night, over the 
city wall, by the disciples. His enemies watched 
the gates night and day, but Paul reached Jerusa- 
lem in safety. 

Alas! here all the believers feared him, until 
Barnabas told the wonderful story of his conver- 
sion. Then they welcomed him gladly. He was 
so successful in convincing the Hellenist Jews that 
Jesus was the Christ, that plots were laid to de- 
stroy him. Being warned of these by God, he 
went with Barnabas to Antioch, where he spent a 
year, winning many converts. 

Antioch is famed for first naming the disciples. 



218 TPiUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

before called Xazarenes. •• Christians.*' The name 
is now honored all over the world. The Jews had 
always held that they alone were God's chosen 
people, that '^ salvation is of the Jews.'' Xow he 
teaches them by his servants that •• God is no re- 
specter of persons," that in every nation they that 
fear God shall be accepted by him. The Jews 
were enraged at this doctrine, for Paul preached 
it boldly. But the Gentiles heard the gospel 
gladly. 

To prove that he was a most eloquent and con- 
vincing speaker, one has but to read his epistles 
to the different churches. Though so rarely elo- 
quent, and giving himself wholly to the work of 
the gospel. Paul supported himself by his trade. 
that of a tent-maker : for. he said. •• I seek not 
yours, but you." It was the praiseworthy custom 
of the Jews, however wealthy, to see that their 
children each had a trade, and Paul's was that of 
a tent-maker. 

The story of his travels and voyages, of his suf- 
ferings and triumphs, is the most thrilling of any 
on record : and through it all he rejoiced that he 



SAUL, OR PAUL. 219 

was counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake. 
On Mars Hill he astonished the cultured Athe- 
nians by declaring to them the ^^ Unknown God/' 
whom they ignorantly worshipped. He was fear- 
less before rulers when brought before them. Lis- 
tening to his clear logic and matchless eloquence, 
King Agrippa said, ^-Almost thou persuadest me 
to be a Christian." 

Yet success did not elate him, neither did mis- 
fortune depress. He was worshipped as a god 
one day, and the next stoned until they thought 
him dead. Five times he received thirty-nine 
lashes — the extent permitted by Jewish law ; 
three times he was beaten with rods ; three times 
he was shipwrecked ; he was often imprisoned ; 
in perils numberless, even including "false breth- 
ren; *' and '-was caught up into paradise," where 
he heard " words which it is not lawful for a man 
to utter." 

He wrought miracles ; he brought back the dead 
to life ; he was warmly loved and bitterly hated ; 
yet "none of these things moved him." He bore 
upon his heart daily " the care of all the churches." 



220 TRUE STORIES FROM THE BOOK. 

The secret of this wonderful life is this, — he 
said, " For me to live is Christ, and to die is 
gain.-' He had no fear of death. It would be for 
him a joyful release. Yet he gladly lived to toil 
and suffer for Christ. 

When at the last he was to suffer martyrdom, 
by the sentence of the Avicked proconsul ^genas, 
he walked to the place of execution with such a 
cheerful air that the people cried out that '^ a good 
and innocent man was unjustly condemned to 
die.'' The cross on which he was to die was in 
the form of the letter X, and known as St. An- 
drew's cross. When he drew near it, he said, " I 
have long desired and expected this happy hour. 
The cross has been consecrated by the body of 
Christ hanging on it, and adorned with his mem- 
bers, as with so many inestimable jewels. I there- 
fore come joyfully and triumphing in it, that it 
may receive me as a disciple and follower of Him 
who once hung upon it, and be the means of car- 
rying me safe to my Master, being the instrument 
on which He redeemed me." 

He was fastened to the cross, where he hung 



¥ 



SAUL, OR PAUL. 221 

two days, teaching and instructing the people. 
Constant effort was being made to the consul that 
his life might be spared ; but he was praying that 
he might now depart, and seal the truth with his 
blood. His prayers were heard, and he entered 
into rest. 

A noble lady, Maximillia, wife of the pro-con- 
sul, gave the body honorable, interment. After- 
ward the Emperor Constantine removed it to 
Constantinople, ^ and buried it in the great church 
which he had built to honor the apostles.'' His 
true monument, however, is the millions of ^^ liv- 
ing epistles'' saved by the truths he uttered in 
his varied epistles, which are the comfort and 
inspiration of the Christian world to-day. Truly 
the great apostle might say, ^- For me to live is 
Christ, and to die is gain." 



222 TRUE STOKIES FKOM THE BOOK. 

QUESTIONS. 

Where was Paul born? 

Was it a famous city ? 

Why was he sent to Jerusalem ? 

Who was his teacher ? 

Wh}' did he hate Christians so ? 

Was he a great persecutor ? 

Why did he ask the high priest to send him to 
Damascus ? 

^Miat Avas his spirit ? 

What did he hear on the way to Damascus ? 

What strange thing occurred ? 

What answer did he make to the voice ? 

Did the men who were with him hear the voice ? 

When Saul arose from the ground, what did he 
find? 

Where was he led ? 

Whom did the Lord send to him there ? 

Was Saul's sight restored ? 

Was he now valiant for Jesus ? 

What did his enemies try to do ? 

How did he escape ? 



SAUL, OR PAUL. 223 

When he reached Jerusalem, did the believers 
receive him gladly ? 

Who told them the wonderful story of his con- 
version ? 

Where did he go with Barnabas ? 

Where were the disciples first called Christians ? 

AVho first taught that ^^God is no respecter of 
persons ^^ ? 

Did this teaching please the Jews ? 

Who received the Word gladly ? 

What was Paul's occupation ? 

Did he suffer for Christ ? 

What did King Agrippa say to him ? 

Mention some miracles which Paul wrought. 

What was the secret of his wonderful life ? 

Was he glad to die on the cross as his master 
did? 

What noble lady gave the body honorable inter- 
ment ? 

What great church did the Christian Emperor 
Constantine build in honor of apostles ? 

What is PauPs true monument ? 



224 TRUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTER XI. 
ST. LUKE. 

Antioch, the capital of Syria, famed for its 
beautiful situation, its fertile soil, ^^ the riches 
of its commerce, the wisdom of its senate, and 
the civility and politeness of its inhabitants,'' was 
the birthplace of Luke, ^^ the beloved physi- 
cian.'' 

Antioch was famed for its schools of learning, 
and Luke was an artist as well as a physician. It 
is thought that he went to Rome with a noble 
family, as physician. He was a Jewish proselyte. 
Just when he became a Christian is not known. 
The fact that he was the constant companion of 
St. Paul, who speaks of him as the " brother 
whose praise is in the gospel," proves him a true 
disciple. The Gospel which he wrote, and the 
Acts of the Apostles, are elegantly and concisely 
expressed, and luminous with divine truth. 



ST. LUKE. 225 

He was more than scholar, physician, and artist. 
He was one of Christ's witnesses. He is a " king 
and priest unto God.'' 

After testifying and suffering for his sake, he 
laid down his life, one of the holy band of martyrs. 



QUESTIONS. 

Where was St. Luke born ? 

Why did he go to Jerusalem ? 

Was he a Jew ? 

What great apostle did he accompany in his 
travels ? and how does he speak of him ? 

What books of the Bible did he write ? 

What was he more than scholar, physician, and 
artist? 

How did he die ? 



226 TRUE STOlilES FKOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE XII. 
TIMOTHY. 

Timothy was one who, taught by his mother 
Eunice and his grandmother Lois, had ^^ from a 
child known the Holy Scriptures." He was Paul's 
own son in the gospel, and the great apostle loved 
him devotedly. 

Two of the letters — epistles — which he wrote, 
are directed to Timothy. He bids him '' be 
strong in the Lord,'' to ^^vpreach the Word," and 
tells him in his last letter, '^ 1 am now ready to be 
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
course, I have kept the faith." Timothy went 
to his loved teacher by the gate of martyrdom. 



TIMOTHY. 227 

QUESTIONS. 

Who were Timothy's teachers in the Holy 
Scriptures ? 

Who claims him as his own son in the gospel ? 

How many of PauPs epistles are directed to 
him? 

What does he say in his last letter to him ? 

How did Timothy die ? 



228 TllUE STOKIES FKOM THE BOOK. 



CHAPTEE XIII. 
MAEY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS. 

The happiest and most honored woman the 
world ever saw was Mary, the mother of Jesus, 
who is " the light of the world." 

The most sorrowful woman was this same Mary, 
when she saw the Son whom she so tenderly loved, 
the holy and perfect One, nailed to the cruel cross, 
when she saw the agonies he suffered, and knew 
that amid it all she tvas remembered. 

By her side, his heart, like hers, rent with 
anguish, stood John, ^' the disciple whom Jesus 
loved." From the dying Jesus came the words, 
" Woman, behold thy son ; " and to John, ^' Behold 
thy mother." '^ And from that hour that disciple 
took her unto his own home." How tenderly he 
cared for the widowed mourner we may infer 
from the glimpses we get of his character in his 
Gospel and letters. 





The Madonna. 



MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS. 229 

And the few years in which his home was hal- 
lowed by her presence must have been happy 
ones for John. He did not worship her as he did 
her Son, though thousands of misguided people do 
this. He revered and loved her as his Master had 
done. 

How rich in holy memories Mary's life must 
have been ! The time when, a maiden on the 
Judean hills, the angel had said to her, " Hail, 
thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with 
thee : blessed art thou among women," seemed not 
so far away. Then the scenes of the Saviour's 
birth, the worship of the wise men, and the shep- 
herds, to whom the angels had told the good news 
— " Peace on earth, good will to men." 

She must have remembered the flight into Egypt 
at the angePs bidding, and the return after the 
cruel Herod had been called to answer for his 
crimes. How peaceful and love-sheltered had been 
the life of the Holy Child for whom she had cared ! 
The scenes when He stood among the doctors in 
the temple, ^^both hearing them and asking them 
questions," at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, 



230 TRUE STOKIES FROM THE BOOK. 

where the first miracle was wrought, and at the 
river Jordan, where He commenced his great work, 
must have been ever before her. 

The years closing with the awful tragedy of 
Calvary, when the holy and spotless One had died 
for the sins of the world, — how full they had been 
with deeds of mercy and of Divine power ! 

Blessed indeed were these memories ; and very 
welcome, we believe, was the messenger sent to 
welcome her to His eternal home in whose '^pres- 
ence is fulness of joy," and '' pleasures forever- 
more.'' 



questio:n^s. 

Who was the happiest and the most sorrowful 
woman that the world has ever known ? 

When was she the most sorrowful ? 

What did Jesus say to her on the cross, as she 
stood beside John ? 

What did he say to John ? 

What did John do ? 



MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS. 231 

Did he care for her till her death ? 
Did he worship her as he did her Son, his 
Master ? 

How did he regard her ? 

What made Mary's life so happy and blessed ? 



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